~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
April 12, 2012

 ★~ Today’s Quote: ‘Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined’ ~ T. Harv Eker

★~ Look Up At The Sky Day:

WAIT!! Good Lord, I said the SKY not the SUN!  Are you okay? Don’t worry, those spots will go away in just a few minutes. I wanted you to look up and admire the sky. Ya never know what might be going on up there. An asteroid or meteor may be on its way to earth. A solar eclipse could be on display. A flock of geese or birds may be overhead. Or, the clouds may be forming into bunnies or bears, or eagles, OH MY!

Celebrate look up at the sky day by taking a few minutes from your busy day to look UP and admire the sky! Just don’t look directly at the sun…K?

★~ Walk on Your Wild Side Day:

Inside every person lurks an extrovert dying to step out of their comfort zone, to rattle the bushes, to enjoy all that life has to offer. But we often grab our blankies and take comfort in safe and familiar territory. However, safe and familiar often equates to dull and unpromising, and we find ourselves stuck in a rut.

Today we invite our wild side out to play. Take a deep breath (I know I hate to breathe too!), step outside your comfort zone and let your wild self roam a little. Starting is the hardest part. The hope is that once we play with our wild side and take a first step outside the predictable, we might be able to make our real dreams come true. It couldn’t hurt to try…If you need more inspiration watch “The Wild Thornberry’s Movie,” “Where the Wild Thing Are,” or perhaps the classic “The Wild One.”

★~ Licorice Day:

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on whether you like it or not, we are celebrating black licorice.  Personally, I think black licorice has that dreaded good-for-you taste, and I suppose that is because it is good for you. The ancient Egyptians used it as a pharmaceutical, and it was found in King Tut’s tomb. Julius Caesar is on record as endorsing the benefits of eating licorice…a lot of good it did him.

If you are still stuck on why red licorice is getting the short end of the Twizzler, the hard, cruel fact is that red licorice isn’t really licorice at all, except in name. It’s just a red candy, which can be made with many different flavorings, including strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and cinnamon. The good news is that red licorice does not have a good-for you taste.

“Did You Know” below will fill you in on all the reasons you are missing out if you don’t acquire a taste for true black licorice, but if you make an informed decision to have a Twizzler today my El Morno lips are zipped.
★~ Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day:

I am a grilled cheese sandwich connoisseur. The perfect grilled cheese sandwich has only 3 ingredients: bread, butter and cheese, and is made on the best bread available. It should be made on the stove in a frying pan by your mother whenever possible. Dads are not known for making good grilled cheese sandwiches. My mother found out just how bad my dad is at making a grilled cheese sandwich while recovering from her broken ankle. I pair my grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. Joe once paired my grilled cheese with Chicken Noodle Soup, and to this day I am confused by what he was thinking…

If you are ever on 94 going from Chicago to Milwaukee, stop at Mars Cheese Castle and order a Gooey Grilled Cheese Sandwich. It is the best grilled cheese sandwich (beside mom’s) you will ever eat. Pick up some cheese bread while you are there.

To celebrate National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich cooked my favorite way. By the way, if you are inclined to put green chili on your grilled cheese sandwich–just don’t ever tell me about it!

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1799 – Phineas Pratt patented the comb cutting machine — a “machine for making combs.”

♥~ 1934 – Big Wind -The highest-velocity natural wind ever recorded occurred in the morning at the Mount Washington, NH, observatory. Three weather observers, Wendell Stephenson, Alexander McKenzie and Salvatore Pagliuca, observed and recorded the phenomenon in which gusts reached 231 mph—”the strongest natural wind ever recorded on the earth’s surface.”

♥~ 1961 – Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became this first man in space, orbiting the earth aboard Vostok 1. Many consider this to be the event that started the space race between the US and the Soviet Union.

♥~ 1954 – Bill Haley recorded ‘Rock Around The Clock’ at Pythian Temple studios in New York City. Considered by many to be the song that put rock and roll on the map around the world. The song was used over the opening titles for the film ‘Blackboard Jungle’, and went on to be a world-wide No.1 and the biggest selling pop single with sales over 25 million. Written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers, ‘Rock Around The Clock’ was first recorded by Italian-American band Sonny Dae and His Knights.

♥~ 1966 – Tom Jones went into hospital to have his tonsils removed, (there was speculation that he had a nose job).

♥~ 1981 – The first space shuttle, Columbia, carrying astronauts Robert L. Crippen and John W. Young, blasted off from Cape Canaveral, FL, on its first test flight. It was designated STS-1 (space transportation system).

♥~ 1984 – Challenger astronauts made the first satellite repair in orbit by returning a healthy Solar Max satellite to space. The orbiting sun watcher had been circling the Earth for three years with all circuits dead before repairs were made.

♥~ 1989 – Two DJ’s on Los Angeles station KLOS asked what ever happened to David Cassidy’ The singer called the station up and the presenters invited him onto the show. David played three songs live on air and was subsequently signed by a new record label.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1930 – John Landy Australian runner: set mile record of 3:57.9 a month after Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile

♥~ 1932 – Tiny Tim (aka Darry Dover, Larry Love) (Herbert Khaury) ukulele playing, falsetto singer: Tiptoe Through the Tulips, Sonny Boy; film: You Are What You Eat, TV: Laugh In; died Nov 30, 1996

♥~ 1946 – Ed O’Neill actor: Modern Family, Married……with Children, Little Giants, Wayne’s World, Deliverance, Dragnet [2003]

♥~ 1947 – Tom Clancy author: Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games; baseball exec: co-owner: Baltimore Orioles

♥~ 1947 – David Letterman TV host & comedian: Late Night with David Letterman, Late Show with David Letterman; TV mogul: owner of Worldwide Pants Incorporated

♥~ 1949 – Scott Turow author: Presumed Innocent, The Burden of Proof

♥~ 1950 – David Cassidy actor: The Partridge Family, Spirit of ’76, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; singer: Cherish, I Think I Love You; son of actors: Jack Cassidy, Evelyn Ward

♥~ 1956 – Andy Garcia actor: When a Man Loves a Woman, A Show of Force, The Godfather: Part 3, The Untouchables, Blue Skies Again

♥~ 1957 – Vince Gill Grammy Award-winning singer: When Love Finds You [1994], I Still Believe in You [1992], When I Call Your Name [1990]

★~ Did You Know:

♥~ The licorice plant, a shrub, is officially a weed. It is about four feet tall with purplish flowers and grows in hot, dry places.

♥~ Licorice root is one of the most popular herbs in the world. Its botanical name comes from the Greek words meaning “sweet root.”

♥~ Manuscripts from 360 A.D. talk of licorice helping eye ailments, skin diseases, coughs, and loss of hair. Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar are on record as endorsing the benefits of eating licorice.

♥~ Napoleon Bonaparte found licorice soothing during battle; he allegedly ate so much of it that his teeth turned black. (Don’t worry. The amount of licorice found in most of today’s licorice candy will not discolor your teeth.)

♥~ In the United States, anise seed is a popular substitute flavoring for licorice. Although the anise seed has an unmistakable licorice flavor, it is not related to the European plant whose roots are the source of true licorice.

♥~ Carbenoxolone, a compound derived from licorice root, may help slow the effects of aging on the brain.

♥~ Licorice root is a botanical ingredient in modern Chinese medicines used to manage cancers. Current research conducted at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, supports the use of licorice in the treatment of prostate and breast cancer.

♥~ Licorice is especially useful in fighting bronchitis, upper respiratory catarrh, and coughs. It stimulates mucus production and helps to loosen sticky phlegm. It also contains a chemical that has cough-suppressant properties.

♥~ Licorice also helps reduce stomach acid and increases mucus secretion in the gastric tract, soothing irritation and inflammation. It can be used to fight heartburn, indigestion, and gastric and duodenal ulcers. It may also shorten the healing time of mouth ulcers.

♥~ Small amounts of licorice, such as those found in candies, do not pose a risk. However, licorice is a powerful drug, and serious health problems can result from taking it at medicinal levels for long periods of time. People who have high blood pressure, glaucoma, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, as well as anyone who is taking digitalis or who has had a stroke or heart attack should limit their licorice intake.

♥~ Licorice candy is manufactured throughout Europe, America, and Australia..

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Some of Cole’s friends slept over last night. Actually it was just an “over” because as far as I could tell, sleep never showed up. It was not the noise that kept me awake, but the  smells of pizza, marshmallows, resurrection rolls, and popcorn that wafted into my bedroom all night. I resisted the urge to yell, “Don’t make me come out there and eat something!”  Cousin Carla, having recently weathered the teen years, gave me some advice about making my house welcoming to teens—”always have plenty of really good snacks, and then tell them I love to have you all over but smoking and drinking are not okay here. Have a cookie.” I thought that was good advice but then she added, “It also helps to tell them that while they cannot smoke or drink, they can feel free to have consensual sex.” Cousin Carla is from Florida…need I say more?

What are you up to today? Odd Loves Company! 

♥