~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
September 13, 2012

Today’s Quote:  “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl

★~ R U OK?Day:

A conversation could change a life. Today is a national day of action, dedicated to inspiring all people to regularly ask each other ‘Are you ok?’

By raising awareness about the importance of connection and providing resources throughout the year, The R U OK? Foundation aims to prevent isolation by empowering people to support each other through life’s ups and downs. (Thanks El Morno Friend  Antoinette for the R U OK? Day heads up)

★~ Uncle Sam Day:

Have you ever wondered who the heck Uncle Sam was and why he was chosen as an icon to represent America? If so, you’re not alone. Although stories vary, it seems Uncle Sam got his start during the War of 1812. Sam Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, N.Y., used to ship meat to American servicemen. The shipments were marked “E.A. – U.S.” and from Sam Wilson. Eventually the servicemen began to jokingly refer to them as being from “Uncle Sam,” and the idea caught on and spread from there.

Sept. 13 was Sam Wilson’s birthday, and is celebrated today as “Uncle Sam Day.”

★~ Snack a Pickle Day:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Check out ‘Did You Know’ for more pickle facts to tickle your fancy.

★~ National Peanut Day:

Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut just now. Just now I found a peanut, found a peanut just now. One must sing this song on National Peanut Day. All together now… Debbie, you have a lovely voice!  Mike, what a nice deep voice you have, Liz you articulate beautiful. And to those of your in the peanut gallery….Thank you!

The peanut started off in South America, but now its crunchy shells can be found littering the floors of sports bars all over the world. The peanut is one well-traveled legume.

Speaking of legumes, that is technically what peanuts are. Legumes are simple dry fruits in the same family as peas and beans.

Celebrate the peanut with the obvious—a peanut butter sandwich—or bake up a batch of peanut butter cookies, watch a ballgame with a bag of whole peanuts, or enjoy a sprinkling of peanuts on an ice cream sundae. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can follow in the footsteps of George Washington Carver, who discovered over 300 practical uses for peanuts. Carver, a graduate of Iowa State University, FOUND ways to use peanuts in shampoo, fuel, dyes, and flours.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1922 – The mercury climbed to 136 degrees (Fahrenheit) in El Azizia, Libya, the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

♥~ 1954 – The cover of LIFE magazine was adorned with Judy Garland’s picture, with the caption, “Judy Garland takes off after an Oscar.” Garland had been nominated for her role in A Star is Born.

♥~ 1963 – Mary Kay, the direct-sales cosmetic company, was founded by nine people gathered around Mary Kay Ash’s kitchen table.

♥~ 1997 – Mariah Carey’s Honey debuted on the Hot 100 at number one — her third single to do so. The others wereFantasy (Sep 30, 1995) and One Sweet Day (Dec 2, 1995). Carey was the first artist to have three singles debut at #1.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1857 – Milton S. (Snavely) Hershey candy tycoon:; died Oct 13, 1945

♥~ 1916 – Roald Dahl writer: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; screen play: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; died Nov 23, 1990

♥~ 1924- Chester “Zeke” Cieslak. Awesome father, lover of books and baseball and all things Polish. “Pops” to El Morno friend Teresa Cieslak.

♥~ 1939 – Neil Sedaka, singer, songwriter, (1959 UK No.3 single ‘Oh Carol’ plus over 30 US & 14 UK other Top 40 singles

♥~ 1944 – Jacqueline Bisset actress: Rich and Famous, The Deep, Airport, Bullitt, Wild Orchid, Murder on the Orient Express, Choices

♥~ 1952 – Randy Jones singer: group: The Village People: Y.M.C.A.

★~ Did You Know:

♥~ In the Pacific Islands, natives pickle their foods in holes in the ground lined with banana leaves, and use them as food reserves in case of storms. The pickles are so valuable that they’ve become part of the courting process, helping a man prove he’ll be able to provide for a woman. In Fiji, guys can’t get a girl without first showing her parents his pickle pits.

♥~ Cleopatra claimed pickles made her beautiful.

♥~ The majority of pickle factories in America ferment their pickles in outdoor vats without lids (leaving them subject to insects and bird droppings)! But there’s a reason. According to food scientists, the sun’s direct rays prevent yeast and molds from growing in the brine.

♥~ In the Delta region of Mississippi, Kool-Aid pickles have become popular with kids. The recipe’s simple: take some dill pickles, cut them in half, and then soak them in super strong Kool-Aid for more than a week. According to the New York Times, the sweet vinegar snacks are known to sell out at fairs and delicatessens, and generally go for $.50 to a $1.5. Not everyone loves a sweet pickle. In America, dill pickles are twice as popular as the sweet variety.

♥~  The Department of Agriculture estimates that the average American eats 8.5 lbs of pickles a year.

♥~ When the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys in sweltering heat in September 2000, many of the players attributed their win to one thing: guzzling down immense quantities of ice-cold pickle juice.

♥~  If it weren’t for pickles, Christopher Columbus might never have “discovered” America. In his famous 1492 voyage, Columbus rationed pickles to his sailors to keep them from getting scurvy. He even grew cucumbers during a pitstop in Haiti to restock for the rest of the voyage.9. Speaking of people who get credit for discovering America, when he wasn’t drawing maps and trying to steal Columbus’ thunder, Amerigo Vespucci was a well-known pickle-merchant.

♥~ Napoleon was also a big fan of pickle power. In fact, he put up the equivalent of $250,000 as a prize to whoever could figure out the best way to pickle and preserve foods for his troops.

♥~ During the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, H. J. Heinz used pickle pins to lure customers to his out of the way booth. By the end of the fair, he’d given out lots of free food, and over 1,000,000 pickle pins.

♥~  Berrien Springs, Michigan, has dubbed itself the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World. In early December, they host a parade, led by the Grand Dillmeister, who tosses out fresh pickles to parade watchers.

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Roald Dahl’s birthday! I loved his Matilda books. I remember searching for them at the library.  Giant (BFG) language is part of my families vocabulary. I mean really doesn’t the word, “nothing mucher” sum up a not so great experience perfectly? And Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Dahl wrote the screen play) was such a fun movie.  Did you or your kid have a favorite Dahl book?

Wishing you a Thursday sprinkled with magic, charm and laughter!

♥