International Hug Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, New England Clam Chowder Day

★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥
January 21, 2013

Ice flower

★~  Today’s Quote: 
…A hug is an amazing thing
It’s just the perfect way
To show the love we’re feeling
But can’t find the words to say….
~Johnny Ray Ryder, Jr., “A Simple Hug”

★~ International Hug Day:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/Vw4KVoEVcr0[/youtube]

I think this is one of the sweetest hugging videos EVER.

Hugging is a wonderful tonic. It makes you feel energized and gives you an emotional boost. In fact, the medical evidence is that a hug helps your body produce more Oxytocin, which is the ‘feel good’ hormone. Research has found that one 20-second hug a day makes a big difference between how happy and relaxed we are. According to research two out of three adults hug at least once a day.  So make sure you share a hug today.

★~ Squirrel Appreciation Day:

My Squirrel

Let’s face it—appreciating a squirrel is hard work. Maybe not as hard as appreciating a pigeon, but still it isn’t easy. Sure, there no shortages of interesting tales showing squirrels at their best—the adorable and spunky squirrel who fought off crows to defend his fallen friend, or the cat that raised a baby squirrel and taught it to purr—but those stories are just propaganda to keep us in denial about what we already know: Squirrels are never up to anything good.

However, there does seem to be one place where squirrels are appreciated. College Campuses! Remember Sneezy the squirrel who loves to wear hats? He resides on the Penn State campus. And  according to El Morno friend Debbie, the luckiest squirrels in the world reside on the Notre Dame campus where they are so tame they’ll take treats from students hands. They even have their own Facebook page: The Squirrels of Notre Dame

The squirrel pictured above is “our squirrel.” Yes, I’m a bit attached to the chubby little fella, he’s been working on that pumpkin since November. I’m going to have to pitch it soon but may replace it with a squash (Mom’s idea).  I don’t want him to be hungry, on the other hand, I don’t want any expensive vet bills either. Hope he is continues to be a smart squirrel and only comes down to munch when the pups are up! Click for more fascinating squirrel facts.

★~ New England Clam Chowder Day:

clamChowderCannonball

New Englanders use the Native American term quahog. The name quahog derives from the Narragansett Indian name for “poquauhock.” The scientific name, mercenaria, of these clams comes from Latin meaning “wages.” because Native Americans strung the shells like beads and used them as money or “wampum.” Quahogs replace fish in the fish-milk stews of coastal England and France to become New England chowder. Prounounced “chowdah” by people situated north of Connecticut.

In Maine, those living on one side of Penobscot Bay like their clam chowder made with tomatoes, while those living on the other side like it made with milk and no tomatoes. Maine residents often call their region “Down East” and their chowder “Down East Chowder.” The definition of of “Down East” is:

When ships sailed from Boston to ports in Maine (which were to the east of Boston), the wind was at their backs, so they were sailing downwind, hence the term “Down East.” And it follows that when they returned to Boston they were sailing upwind; many Mainers still speak of going “up to Boston,” despite the fact that the city lies approximately fifty miles to the south of Maine’s southern border.

By 1836, clam chowder was already well-know in Boston and served at Ye Olde Union Oyster House, the nation’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. The building that houses the Union Oyster House is about 250 years old. Daniel Webster, the noted lawyer and orator who served as a Congressman and as Secretary of State, was a regular at the bar, where he was known for downing a tumbler of brandy and water with each half-dozen oysters–and he’d rarely eat less than six plates of the tasty bivalves!

Every year Newport, Rhode Island hosts a chowder cook-off, awarding cash prizes to the skilled chefs, and feeding thousands of hungry chowdah lovahs. We can join this culinary tradition by enjoying a bowl of delicious chowder in honor of New England Clam Chowder Day.

★~ Today in History: 

[youtube]http://youtu.be/sZYjc57V55U[/youtube]

♥~ 1925 – Nome, Alaska alerted the world by radio to a diphtheria epidemic that threatened to wipe out its entire population. The famous Iditarod race is run each year to commemorate the emergency delivery of diphtheria antitoxin that saved the people of Nome.

♥~ 1959 – The Kingston Trio (Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard) received a gold record for Tom Dooley

~ 1993 – Workers from two bakeries and WKLL Radio set a world record in Utica, New York, by baking history’s largest jelly doughnut: 3,739 pounds, 16 feet in diameter.

★~ Trending Today:

Super-Bowl-2013-Baltimore-Ravens-vs-San-Francisco-49ers

♥~ Super Bowl XLVII: 49ers, Ravens Reach New Orleans Set Up Matchup

♥~ Kaepernick: Did Jim Harbaugh know Colin Kaepernick was this good?

♥~  Jennifer Lawrence: Ultimate Jennifer Lawrence Celeb Lovefest Mashup

★~Born Today:

telly-savalas-

♥~ 1922 – Telly (Aristotle) Savalas Emmy Award-winning actor: Kojak [1973-’74]; The Dirty Dozen, Birdman of Alcatraz, Battle of the Bulge, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Kelly’s Heroes; died Jan 22, 1994

♥~ 1942 – Mac (Scott) Davis singer: Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me; Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife; actor: North Dallas Forty; host: The Mac Davis Show; songwriter: In the Ghetto, Memories; ACM Entertainer of the Year [1975]

♥~ 1947 – Jill Eikenberry actress: L.A. Law, Arthur, The Manhattan Project

♥~ 1956 – Geena Davis Academy Award-winning supporting actress: The Accidental Tourist [1988]; Beetlejuice, Fletch, The Fly, Tootsie, Thelma and Louise, Buffalo Bill,The Long Kiss Goodnight, Commander in Chief

★~ Did You Know: 

In Denmark, when the cops catch someone riding their bicycle in an unsafe manner, they hug them and give them a helmet.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/vWF4x01MkzE[/youtube]

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I’m going to try to make the S’more popcorn balls this Morno. I have a feeling that I should stick with banana nut bread but I’m going for it….. . At least popcorn balls just need to be molded into a simple round ball….says she with a smile.  I’ll let you know how it goes….

Pinterest

I hope you have today off in observance of Martin Luther King’s Birthday. Remember banks and government offices (including the post office) are closed.

Big virtual hug {{{{  }}}}

I98Dj

♥~

 

16 thoughts on “International Hug Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, New England Clam Chowder Day

  1. Grrrr. Internet Issues. Looks like an action packed El Morno. Will catch up tomorrow. Typing on phone, too hard.

    • Internet issues? On Sunday? Knocking out El Morno? This will not do!! I needed to remind you about the extra pancakes for the Peking Duck….I hope you remember.

  2. Pingback: January 21: Hug Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, New England Clam Chowder Day

  3. Good Moro!
    My house is in full squirrely mode. Kids are home. The weather is nice so we are heading to the park to appreciate the squirrel up close and personal. Soup and griller cheese for lunch. Unfortunately, Chicken noodle and not Clam chowder.
    I’m sure your popcorn balls will be wonderful. Funny picture and I love the hugging clip at the end.

    {{ }} BUG HUG. Have a great day.

    • {{{ }}} Grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup would work for me especially if someone else was making it. The popcorn balls turned out really good…I won’t kid you tho…messy.
      Hope you enjoyed your day.

  4. very cute cat hug video.
    gee……your squirrel is tubby! squirrels have not chewed through anything to disrupt my life so i think they’re funny little creatures.
    i could go for a bowl of ne clam chowder. we always called the tomato based manhattan clam chowder.
    none of my teams reached the super bowl. next year!
    i read when a dog leans on you, it is a hug. if so, i’m right up there in the statistics!

    • My squirrel is NOT Tubby. He has haired out for the winter. Ok. Maybe a little tubby. Did you know in 1939 the state of Maine made it illegal to put tomatoes in clam chowder? I think that was a little harsh.
      I am sure Nik is giving you a hug! Dogs give great hugs.

  5. Had no idea somebody at Notre Dame has enough time on his/her hands to keep up a FB page for the squirrels — sent the link to Domer, just in case he’s missed it!
    I’ve been hugging puppies all day — went to visit a friend who has four plus hugged on my own Darling Doggie. Sometimes dogs really give the best hugs!

    • Opps…we are thinking alike–I just said that to Irene ^. They do give great hugs. PUPPIES.
      When you google ND and Squirrels a lot of pictures show up—they are know for their plumpness….Lots of pizza, and Quiznos leftovers, I guess.

  6. Happy hug day to all..
    I have no appreciation for squirrels !! Every year I battle them over my tomatoes. They eat more that we do..this year I may plant them and just let the squirrles have them all..they must need them more than I do.. lol 👿

    • Happy Hug Day to you…Perhaps we need a hug to drowned our political sorrows…. I don’t suppose Rosie could be trained to chase them out of the tomato patch… If she is like my pups…she would look at you and with her expression suggest…YOU GET THEM.
      They can be a menace to gardens that is for sure.

  7. Millie had 2 up the tree yesterday and just wouldn’t give up. She was jumping, trying to climb the tree. And barking her head off. The squirrels were flattened against the limbs so you could hardly see them. I finally had enough and went out to pick her up to bring in the house.This always seems to be the bright spot in her day when she can tree a squirrel.
    Never had clam chowder and don’t plan to . Doesn’t even sound appealing. I had Chicken Noodle today. Helps with this cold I have.

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