Good morning! 🌞 

—did you know the oldest known perfume dates back over 4,000 years, discovered in Cyprus? Made by ancient perfumers, it featured oils infused with herbs and spices like coriander and bergamot—talk about a timeless blend!

Health Sciences

Chocolate for Diabetes

A comprehensive study involving 192,000 U.S. health professionals over 34 years suggests that regularly consuming dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) may help lower the risk of type-2 diabetes. Those who ate about five servings per week showed a 21% reduced risk compared to non-consumers, while milk chocolate showed no benefit and was linked to greater weight gain. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, recorded more than 18,000 cases of type-2 diabetes, raising the possibility that flavanol-rich dark chocolate could play a role in healthier eating patterns.

However, these results must be considered carefully due to potential biases. Since participants were primarily nurses and health practitioners, they were likely more diet-conscious and thus inclined to choose dark chocolate for its lower sugar content. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported food frequency questionnaires, which can introduce inaccuracies when people misreport their actual consumption habits.

Despite these limitations, the data revealed a dose-dependent relationship: each additional weekly serving of dark chocolate correlated with a 3% lower diabetes risk. This protective effect is thought to stem from flavanols—plant compounds found in dark chocolate, as well as in colorful fruits and vegetables—that function as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and support heart health. While further research is needed to confirm these results, the takeaway is clear: when it comes to enjoying a sweet treat, choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate may offer a modest health advantage.

Good News

10-Year-Old Christmas Gift

In rural Bean Blossom, Indiana, Shawn and Bruce Carpenter are selling about 1,000 mature fir and pine trees to help fund their eight grandchildren’s college educations. A decade ago, they planted 5,000 seedlings at their Bittersweet Farms, envisioning a future harvest that would coincide with their grandchildren’s college years. Despite some losses along the way, the surviving trees have now reached marketable size, making this the couple’s first season of public sales.

Priced at $10 per foot, their trees are more affordable than the national average of $13 per foot, according to Pick Your Own Christmas Tree. If they manage to sell approximately 600 trees at an average price of $83 each, they could earn nearly $50,000 before expenses and taxes, leaving about $39,000 afterward. Divided equally, that’s roughly $4,875 for each grandchild—a meaningful educational boost from their grandparents’ decade-long investment.

The Carpenters kicked off sales on November 30, selling six trees on the first day, including two large specimens bought by a Columbus Regional Hospital executive. Customers can choose to cut their own tree or get help from the Carpenters. Bittersweet Farms is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and is closed on Sundays, offering a unique opportunity for holiday shoppers to support a family’s college dreams while taking home a freshly cut Christmas tree.

World News

Iron Age ‘Weapon Sacrifice’

Archaeologists working along Denmark’s E45 motorway at Løsning Søndermark in Hedensted have uncovered a remarkable Iron Age “weapon sacrifice” site packed with hundreds of bladed weapons and rare artifacts, including a painstakingly crafted chainmail cuirass. The discovery—thought to be linked to a prominent leader or significant event—reflects a known practice of offering valuable weapons and gear to higher powers following battles or the deaths of key figures.

In two separate building remains, researchers found 119 lance and spearheads, eight swords, five knives, three arrowheads, an axe head, and the chainmail. They also recovered two Roman-inspired oath rings, a bugle-like instrument, a horse bridle, and flint and pottery fragments. The rings, bearing a “ring bearer” motif wearing chainmail, symbolized power and loyalty. Intriguingly, weapons were deliberately placed in or around postholes as the structures were built or dismantled, emphasizing the site’s ceremonial importance rather than any practical use as a barracks or smithy.

Chainmail from this era is extraordinarily rare in southern Scandinavia, and this is the first time such armor has been uncovered at a settlement rather than in a burial. By around 400 CE, the location had grown into a community hub capable of attracting high-status individuals. Plans are underway to display these finds at the Vejle Cultural Museum in 2025, offering the public a glimpse into the rituals, power dynamics, and cultural values of Iron Age Denmark.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

Why did the ornament go to therapy?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I’m always moving, yet stand still,
I’m close at hand but rarely seen.
I measure moments, never make a sound,
I show you time, though I don’t speak.
What am I? — A watch/clock ⌚️ Jared Garretson got this correct first and early!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.