New moon: In Gemini, Wednesday, June 1
Full moon: In Sagittarius Wednesday, June 15 (Full Strawberry Moon)
Visible constellations: Boötes, the hunter; Libra, the Scales.
Astrological sign: Taurus, April 20 to May 20; Gemini, May 21 to June 20
Astrological element: Air
Gem stone: Pearl
Flower: Rose
Born this month: Marine explorer Jacques Cousteau (1910); Singer Judy Garland (1922); George H.W. Bush (1924), 41st president of the United States
Harvard history snippet:
“The demand for public services rose greatly after 1940, putting new strains on the town budget and on the town officials who were forced to decide which services were truly essential.” The heaviest demands were made upon the school system; the fire and police departments were also augmented, and a new town ambulance service was initiated. Recreation became a significant service, with the establishment and maintenance of the town beach and the addition of four new tennis courts behind the Bromfield School.”
—from Directions of a Town, by Robert C. Anderson (1976)
Household tips:
- To keep them fresh longer, store foods that contain natural oils in the freezer. (e.g., oatmeal, whole-grain flours and cornmeal, shelled nuts, brown rice, coffee.)
- To clean cutting boards, rub them vigorously with lemon juice and salt.
- To keep your eyes from tearing while cutting onions, first sprinkle the cutting board with vinegar..
Going green:
- Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.
- Combine your week’s errands into one trip.
- Turn off your computer completely at night.
- Repurpose something.
What to do in the garden:
- Instead of using chemicals to kill pesky weeds, pour boiling water over them.
- Avoid handling plants just after a rainstorm, as you could aid the spread of fungal diseases.
- After their flowers fade, prune forsythia bushes by cutting a third of the oldest and thickest stems to within a foot of the ground.
- To help repel moles, sprinkle cayenne pepper around their tunnel entrances or put a bulb of garlic inside the entrance.
Trivia tidbit: Congress granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans (1924); the silver in U.S. dimes and quarters was eliminated (1965); the bald eagle was protected as an endangered species (1940); Donald Duck made his first film appearance (1934).
According to folklore: When hornets build their nests high, expect a hot summer.
Thought for the month:
“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.”
—L.M. Montgomery, Canadian author (1874–1942)
Do you have an almanac tidbit you’d like to share? E-mail to editor@harvardpress.com.