~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
July 19, 2012

★~ Today’s Quote:  The trouble ain’t that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain’t distributed right. Mark Twain

★~ Flitch Day:

The tradition of the Dunmow Flitch began in Great Dunmow, Essex in 1104 when a local couple so impressed the Prior of Little Dunmow with their marital devotion that he awarded them a flitch (a side) of bacon. The custom continued and the monks offered a “flitch” of bacon as prize for any married couple who could prove to a jury of bachelors and maidens that they had lived together in harmony and fidelity for the past year.  The Flitch custom is mentioned in Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” and mock flitch trials are still held every four years in Great Dunmow, England..

“The ancient oath of the flitch was expressed in rhyme:

We do swear by custom of confession
That we ne’re made nuptial transgression
Nor since we were married man and wife
By household brawl or contentious strife,
Or otherwise at bed or board,
Offended each other in deed or word;
Or since the parish clerk said amen,
Wished ourselves unmarried again;
Or in a twelvemonth and a day
Repented in thought in any way,
But continue true and in desire
As when we joined in holy quire.”

When this oath was taken by each couple, it was the duty of the officer who administered it to reply:

“Since to these conditions, without any fear,
Of your own accord you do freely swear,
A whole flitch of bacon you shall receive,
And bear it hence with love and good leave;
For this is our custom at Dunmow well known
Though the pleasure be ours, the bacon’s your own.”

It should be noted that very couples brought home the bacon.

★~ Stick Out Your Tongue Day:

Did you know that you cannot stick your tongue straight out and look up at the ceiling at the same time? But, today, you can stick it out at anyone and everyone because it’s Stick Out Your Tongue Day! If someone annoys you, go ahead and stick your tongue out at them. It’s especially fun to do this to crying children in the grocery store or to make this gesture behind someone’s back … and if someone call’s you immature, you know what to do!

★~ Raspberry Cake Day:

History suggests that the people of Troy were the first to appreciate the fruit of the raspberry bush dating as far back as the time of Christ. The Romans are credited with the spread of this delicious fruit throughout Europe, as archaeologists have discovered raspberry seeds in old Roman forts located in Britain. In the last 15 years, raspberries have become increasingly popular in American cuisine, showing up in everything from vinaigrettes to iced tea. Here is a Raspberry Coffee Cake recipe you might enjoy:

★~ Daiquiri Day:

It’s National Daiquiri Day! The drink many people associate with author Ernest Hemingway was, in fact, invented in 1898 by an engineer named Jennings Stockton Cox in the small iron mining town of Daiquiri near Santiago, Cuba. Ernest Hemingway did inspire the creation of the frozen Daiquiri at El Floridita, a restaurant in Havana. In Islands in the Stream, he wrote: “This frozen daiquiri, so well beaten as it is, looks like the sea where the wave falls away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots.” No matter who  invented it, I plan to have a frozen strawberry daiquiri today, with a pink umbrella, and let my tongue savor the taste. Cheers!

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1946 – Marilyn Monroe acted in her first screen test. She passed it with flying colors and was signed to her first contract with Twentieth Century Fox Studios. The first of her 29 films was Scudda-Hoo! Scudda-Hay!

♥~ 1954 – The Lord of the Rings:  First part published anniversary. The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings, was published. The publishers chose to publish the book in three parts because it was so long. The Two Towers was published on Nov 11, 1954, and The Return of the King was published on Oct 20, 1955.

♥~ 1980 –  Billy Joel earned his first gold record with It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me, which reached the top of the Billboard pop music chart.

♥~ 1994 – Susan Montgomery blew a record bubble-gum bubble in Fresno, California. It measured 23 inches in diameter.

♥~ 2003 – A 42-year-old Austrian man received the world’s first transplanted tongue at Vienna’s General Hospital.

♥~ 2009 – Without warning, a mystery object struck Jupiter. An amateur astronomer in Australia detected the new scar that covered some 73 million square miles, an larger area than the Pacific ocean.

★~ Born Today:

♥~ 1860 – Lizzie Borden accused of axe murder of her parents; acquitted in a highly public trial; died June 1, 1927

♥~ 1865 – Charles Mayo surgeon: founded Mayo Clinic & Mayo Foundation with his brother; died May 26, 1939

♥~ 1941 – Vikki Carr (Florencia Bisenta deCasilla Martinez Cardona)singer: It Must be Him, With Pen in Hand, The Lesson

♥~ 1947 – Bernie Leadon  musician: guitar: group: The Eagles: Take It Easy, Best of My Love, One of these Nights

♥~ 1978 – R.J. (Robert Jackson) Williams actor: Full House, The Big Five, The Price of Life, The Night They Saved Christmas, American Anthem, The Other Woman, Passions, General Hospital

★~ Did You Know: A few links that made me smile, think, laugh this week-so far…

♥~ Widowed farmer creates love note to his wife out of thousands of oak trees

♥~Five Lesser-Known Amazon Services That Can Save You Time and Money

♥~ The 50 Cutest things That Ever Happened  (thank you Merrily Marylee)

♥~Open Hear Project: The Open Heart Project is a twice-weekly free email newsletter dedicated to supporting you in your meditation practice no matter where you are on the path. It gives you the same information and guidance you’d receive at a Buddhist meditation center—but now all you have to do is push “play.” It’s free. It’s wonderful. I am on week 3.

♥~ The Doberman and the Kitten

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We had an amazing storm last night-Lightening,thunder and rain for hours. I loved it. My pups not so much so but they were nestled safe,dry and warm in crates. I sat outside on my porch steps applauding the universes, light and sound show. At times the energy felt angry and manic and other times playful as the thunder chased the lightening through the trees. The picture from up above is taken with my I-phone. This picture was taken from our balcony.

Do you enjoy a lightening, thundering storm?

Odd Loves Company,