~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
December 12,2011

★~ Today’s Quote: Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel’s just got his wings. ~ Frances Goodrich

★~ Poinsettia Day:

All year long there’s hardly a poinsettia to be found, and then suddenly the holiday season rolls around and POOF! these bright red plants are showing up in homes and offices all over the country. Where do they all come from? Well, Mexico and Central America, actually. (And you thought that was a rhetorical question.) They are native to that part of the world, and were first introduced to the United States by a minister named Joel Roberts Poinsett, who also gave the plants their common name. If you haven’t already jumped on the poinsettia bandwagon this year, take today to buy one for yourself or a friend for a little flowerpot-ful of merry fun.

★~ Ding-a-Ling Day:

A ding-a-ling is a wonderful, loving, intelligent, friendly, and most desirable kind of person to know . . . a real bell ringer. Even though they may be a bit odd, they often live the motto of the Ding-A-Ling Club: “Less wiles, more smiles; less tears, more cheers; less shove, more love.” Do you think it is a coincidence that the Ding-A-Ling Club, which offers card-carrying membership, is in Melrose Park, Il.  not far from me? It is about 600 members strong.

Every time a bell rings the world becomes a better place, so consider celebrating Ding-a-Ling Day by dropping your spare change into the Salvation Army’s red kettle and supporting the Salvation Army’s efforts to help more than 34 million Americans recovering from all kinds of personal disasters.

★~ Ambrosia Day:

A fruit salad is a wonderful thing all naturally sweet and delicious, but when you toss in some sour cream, whipped topping, and mini marshmallows, you have ambrosia: the food of the gods, a heavenly tasting fruit salad.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1850 – Wide, Wide World, the novel by Elizabeth Wetherell (whose real name was Susan Warner), was published. The book the first bestseller in America. There were 14 editions printed during the first two years of publication.

♥~ 1937 – The Federal Communications Commission was a bit upset with NBC radio. The FCC scolded the radio network for a skit that starred Mae West. The satirical routine was based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. As she flirted with Charlie McCarthy, ventriloquist Edgar Bergen’s dummy, West said, “Charles, I remember our date and have the splinters to prove it.”  The FCC, NBC banned Miss West from its airwaves for 15 years.

♥~ 1953 – U.S. test pilot Chuck Yeager reached Mach 2.4 in his Bell X-1A rocket plane. At an altitude of 70,000 ft. the aircraft suddenly rolled out of control and tumbled for 36,000 ft. It eventually went into an inverted spin, knocking Yeager into semiconsciousness. Fighting the controls, he managed to pull it out at 30,000 ft.

♥~ 1957 – 22-year-old rocker Jerry Lee Lewis secretly said “I do” for the third time. Lewis married 13-year-old Myra Gale Brown, his third cousin, in Hernando, Tennessee.

♥~ 1980 – Oil tycoon Armand Hammer bought a notebook of writings by Leonardo da Vinci for $5.28 million at auction in London. It was the highest price ever paid for a manuscript. It was 36 pages long and dated back to 1508.

♥~ 2003 – Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) was knighted in London, England.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1915 – Frank (Francis Albert) Sinatra Born at Hoboken, NJ, Frank Sinatra matured from a teen idol to the premier singer of American popular music. Known as the “Chairman of the Board” to his fans, he made more than 200 albums. His signature songs included “All the Way,” “New York, New York” and “My Way.” His film career included musicals (On the Town and Pal Joey) and two gritty films: From Here to Eternity (Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) and The Man with the Golden Arm (Oscar nomination). Died May 14, 1998, at Los Angeles, CA.

♥~ 1941 – Dionne Warwick Grammy Award-winning singer: Do You Know the Way to San Jose [1968], I’ll Never Fall in Love Again [1970], I’ll Never Love This Way Again [1979]; Then Came You [w/Spinners], Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer, Promises, Promises, Anyone Who Had a Heart

♥~ 1949 –  Bill Nighy actor: Pirates of the Caribbean” movies

♥~ 1952 – Cathy Rigby gymnast: 1968 & 1972 U.S. Olympic Team, World Champion silver medalist [1970]; TV commercials; actress: Peter Pan

♥~ 1956 – Ana Alicia actress: Falcon Crest, Romero, Coward of the County

♥~ 1970 – Jennifer Connelly actress: Mulholland Falls, The Rocketeer, Labyrinth, Once Upon a Time in America

♥~ 1977 – Erica Dahm, Jaclyn and Nicole Dahm identical Dahm triplets; actress: Juwanna Mann, Robocop: Prime Directives; Playboy model

★~ Did You Know: 

♥~ A Mexican legend tells of a poor girl, Pepita, who had no gift to bring to Mass on Christmas Eve. She did not want to go empty handed so she gathered some roadside weeds for a small bouquet. As she entered the village chapel the weeds miraculously turned into beautiful brilliant red flowers – poinsettias.

♥~ During the 14-16th centuries, the Aztecs used the sap of poinsettias to control fever and used the leaves to make dye.

♥~ According to the University of Illinois, 80% of poinsettias are purchased by women, 75% of Americans prefer red poinsettias to white or pink and poinsettias are the best selling flowering potted plant in the U.S.

♥~ You can tell the freshness of a poinsettia by observing its pollen…the less you can see, the fresher then plant.

♥~  All parts of the poinsettia are poisonous, but even a small human would have to ingest a huge amount to experience more than a slight stomach ache.

♥~ If you purchase your poinsettia early, before the colored bracts are visible, cover the plant at dusk every evening. Uncover the plant around 8:00 a.m. each morning. This procedure will stimulate the plant to bloom. Continue until the plant colors. Exposure to even low light at night can prevent flowering.

♥~ Poinsettias are susceptible to cold. Make sure your purchased poinsettia is well wrapped and bring it right home. Even brief exposure to low temperatures can damage the plant.

♥~ Keep your poinsettia in a warm place in your house that receives indirect sunlight. The poinsettia prefers night time temperatures to be 5-10 degrees cooler than day time temperatures. Move it to a cooler room at night if necessary.

♥~ Keep the poinsettia away from hot or cool drafts that may be felt from radiators, air registers, open windows or doors.

♥~ Either remove the foil from your plant completely or punch drainage holes in the foil. Water your poinsettia thoroughly and wait until the soil is dry before watering again. Empty any water remaining in the saucer.

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Thought I would leave you with a song….Let’s all sing it together…

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday! If you have a morno moment leave a comment and tell us how you are. . .Odd Loves Company!

♥