I Believe in Mermaids and Here's Why

Today, I was teaching my baby girl about mythical creatures such as giants, fairies and "memids" (mermaids)as she calls them when I came upon something I haven't seen before on Animal Planet. I was just looking for short films on mermaids that I can show my daughter, but what I stumbled upon is a documentary by Animal Planet on Mermaids: The Body Found (2012) and Mermaids: The New Evidence (2013).



I believe that there are some parts here that may have been the source of inspiration for the new TV series by ABS-CBN: Dyesebel. In one episode it shows a coral which was in a form of a spear used to kill a fisherman. In one of the videos from Mermaids: The Body Found there were fishermen in the Baltic Sea and in other parts of the world who noticed how some fishes and whales have spears in their bodies.

If you ask me if there are evidences, I believe there are---it's just not enough yet. In our Evolutionary Biology class in college we talked about how man evolved and I must say that the evidences presented are plausible.


You shouldn't believe everything you see on youtube, but there are some worth thinking about. Below is the video of a boy who found a mermaid washed ashore. This was also part of the documentary by Animal Planet. The scientist who exposed the truth about mermaids, Dr. Paul Robertson, a marine biologist, was also part of the investigating team who studied what the Navy Team recovered the body found by the boy that day.





Below are the video clips from Animal Planet on Mermaids: The Body Found and Mermaids: The New Evidence



I don't think that this is a hoax. What I keep thinking about though is what Dr. Paul Robertson revealed about how Sonar Testing possibly kills them together with other sea creatures such as dolphins and whales. I think they should put a stop to this sonar testing. Of course, the global warming which causes an increase in the temperature of our seas possibly affects them too in the same way that we are affected by it. Yesterday was Earth Day, this should remind us to protect the Earth because it's not exclusive to us humans, we share it with plants and animals such birds and beasts of the earth, creatures the seas -- and mermaids too. One day, I believe when all the evidences pile up, they will finally stop becoming mythical creatures.

Top 10 Crafty Paper Crane Ideas

Last year I folded 1000 paper cranes and when I was done, I  didn't quite know what to do with them. I read somewhere they're lucky and if you fold 1000 of them your wish will come true within a year. While waiting for my wish to come true I scourged the web for ideas and came up with my Top 10 Crafty Things You Can Do Paper Cranes:

1) Use it as a garnish.
There's one website I found where they folded the dumpling wrapper as garnish. How cool is that?

courtesy of: http://www.thekitchn.com/the-wow-factor-origami-crane-g-100711

2) Lamps.
Try covering an old lamp with paper cranes and see what happens when you light it up like the ones below:

Image courtesy of: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vsa2i39Oi-TBt4FdCj0D8E9iniklZcGPTks0xVWsTLxjpA_q9xGIBtnMKt9r8wnUcb6W4oPvBPeJAqyGmm6mt7NdIVfbWELKrT9IhL7yC_eFZq4__aZZ9ab6O2iE-stDea_HzQ/s1600/paper-crane-light_thumb.jpg

Image courtesy of: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-paper-crane-pendant-lamp-117520

3) Earrings:

The image below is from FoldIT Creations and they make paper crane earrings with real gems.

Image courtesy of: http://folditcreations.wordpress.com/tag/dragonfly/

4) Home Decor.

Below is a really cute room with paper cranes. If you are going for something unique you can try this idea for a teenage girl's room.

Image courtesy of: http://p-ec2.pixstatic.com/51b1cc6c74c5b61fe8000908._w.540_s.fit_.jpg

The items below were used for a wedding, but they can also add a burst of color in any room. You can also try painting a branch of a tree white and then putting the paper cranes all over them.

Image courtesy of: http://www.sweetwedding.pl/papierowe-fantazje-zapowiedz-posta/

Paper cranes can give color and dimension to hallways like the picture below. You can also hang them outside but be prepared if it gets windy or when it rains.

Image courtesy off: http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs16/f/2007/207/b/0/1000_Paper_Cranes_by_ChibiIce.jpg

5) Theme for a Wedding or a Party.

Whether you choose white or colored paper cranes it can be a lovely theme to any wedding or party.

Image courtesy of: http://www.100layercake.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Vintage-barn-wedding-32.jpg

Image courtesy of: http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/roshipotoshi/30402070/101425/101425_original.jpg

5) Party favor or giveaways:

You just have to fold them really tiny to fit in a small jar and since they symbolize luck, prosperity, longevity and good health,not to mention inexpensive, they can make good party favors or giveaways.

Image courtesy of: http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/84/2c/8d/842c8ddde35e35eef70d11ec10fb13f7.jpg

 

Image source: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/59/be/0f/59be0f6dce732b8e6922f21f1bc594a5.jpg

6) A Gift.

In Japan they make ideal wedding gifts as they mean luck for the newly weds especially if it's the father of the bride who folded them. In some countries they are given as gifts to ill patients to wish them good health and fast healing. But it doesn't mean you can only give them to sick loved ones, even if they're not sick you can also give it to them so they can make a wish for themselves.

Image courtesy of: http://blog.stephbond.com/2012/07/make-thousand-origami-paper-cranes.html

7) Paper Crane Dress:

I don't think it's wearable but I found it unique.

Image courtesy of: http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/paper-crane-dress-1.jpg

8) Pin it on a clothesline.

They just look cute on a clothesline, period. :)

Image courtesy of: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/cf/12/6dcf12ea2ebec7865671acae5b6ac9de.jpg

9) Mobile

It's one of the most common things people do with with paper cranes most especially if you can't fold 1000 of them. You only need a few, some sticks and a ribbon and your little one can enjoy a crafty and handmade mobile for their nursery.

Image courtesy of: http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/medium/DSCF0503.JPG

Image courtesy of: http://www.deliacreates.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/paper-crane-mobile-14-of-16.jpg

10) Curtains. 

Finally, after folding 1000 paper cranes I decided on hanging them by the window as curtains. Below are the paper cranes which hangs in our playroom. It's made out of all kinds of paper and used post its from the office.

If you would like to give a go, click the youtube video below where I learned how to fold paper cranes and let me know how it goes:

Lavender Growing in the Philippines: 6th Month Update and How to Grow Lavender from Cuttings

From 42 a month ago, I now have just 24 left including the one which I was trying to grow from cuttings. It is pretty scary seeing them turn brown one after the other. And it's not just the ones that I put in full shade that are dying, even the ones in partial shade. But if I'll be successful growing them from cuttings, I should be able to grow back the same number of lavender I lost.

I know that rain during summer will definitely kill them but I left them in the rain when it rained last month. But if I didn't how will I know for myself?

 Anyway, here's how you can propagate lavender from cuttings in case you decide to buy a mature plant and not start them from seeds:

1) Cut a stem as close to the main branch as possible. Use a very sharp pair of scissors or secateurs.

2) Peel the bottom part around 2 inches from the base.

3) Pop it in some well draining soil.

Water them heavily at the base and keep them moist for a few weeks. At around a month, water them lightly as you would any lavender plant. It wouldn't hurt to fertilize at around a month. I use Manusol Growth Fertilizer 30-10-10 to encourage strong growth of leaves, roots and stem. I use a tablespoon of this fertilizer for 8 liters of water. I usually fertilize once a month or every other month depending on the state of the plants.

I did this three days ago and my cutting is still alive. I will let you know how it'll all go in my next update in a month.