★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
September 21, 2012

★~ Today’s Quote:  Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. Stephen King

★~ World Gratitude Day:

World Gratitude Day was started 33 years ago by the United Nations Meditation Group. Why not start a gratitude list today? Grab a notebook or post a notes and take a moment today—and then tomorrow, and every day following— to look at your life and write down one thing — at least one thing—for which you are grateful. Then share it with family and friends.

★~ International Peace Day:

Created in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly, International Peace Day has been promoted as a day of ceasefires and non-violence throughout the world. One Minute of Silence for Peace – at Noon in all Time Zones around the globe.

Isn’t it amazing to think that if peace lived within each of us, we could have world peace this very moment, this very day, and for every tomorrow? Peace be with me ~ Peace be with you.

★~ National Miniature Golf Day:

Did you know that miniature golf has been around since the 1800s? Scroll down to read “Did You Know” for the history of miniature golf. To celebrate National Miniature Golf Day, enjoy a round or two of mini golf with some friends!

★~ Pecan Cookie Day: 

The pecan cookie is the best of both world–sweet on the saltier side.  Celebrate pecan cookies  by breaking out your cookies sheets and baking up a batch or indulge with a pepperidge farm crispy Chesapeake Dark Chocolate Chunk pecan cookie. Maple Pecan Cookies 

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1837 – Charles Tiffany founded Tiffany & Co., a retail store featuring jewelry, china, and other fine accessories. The first day of business brought in $4.98.

♥~ 1937 – “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien was published.

♥~ 1957 – Famed trial lawyer Perry Mason came to TV. The creation of attorney/novelist Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason found fame first as a series of novels, then as a CBS radio series (1943-1955). TV’s Perry Mason, which continued for 9 seasons (TV’s longest-running lawyer series) on CBS, starred Raymond Burr in the lead role. Della Street was played by Barbara Hale.

♥~ 1963 – Sugar Shack entered the Billboard Hot 100, starting a fifteen-week run for Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs.

♥~ 1970 – ABC-TV debuted Monday Night Football, with Howard Cosell, ‘Dandy’ Don Meredith and Keith Jackson. (Frank Gifford replaced Jackson the following year.)

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1866 – H.G. (Herbert George) Wells writer: War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Outline of History; died Aug 13, 1946

♥~ 1912 – Chuck Jones cartoonist: The Road Runner, Pepe Le Pew, Wiley Coyote; died Feb 22, 2002

♥~ 1931 – Larry Hagman actor: I Dream of Jeannie, Dallas, Staying Afloat, Ensign Pulver, In Harm’s Way, Fail-Safe; son of actress Mary Martin

♥~ 1947 – Don Felder musician: guitar, singer: group: The Eagles: One of These Nights, Lyin’ Eyes, Best of My Love, New Kid in Town; solo: LP: Airborne

♥~ 1947 – Stephen King bestselling author of horror, suspense, and thriller novels. Including Pet Sematary, Christine, The Duel, Misery, The Stand, Carrie, The Shining

♥~ 1950 – Bill Murray Emmy Award-winning comedy writer: Saturday Night Live [3/12/77]; actor: Stripes, Ghostbusters series, Groundhog Day, Mad Dog and Glory,What About Bob?, Scrooged, Rushmore, Cradle Will Rock, Scout’s Honor, Hamlet, Charlie’s Angels [2000], Speaking of Sex, Osmosis Jones, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost in Translation

♥~ 1967 – Faith Hill singer: LPs: Take Me as I Am, It Matters to Me, Faith; sold eleven million records, eight #1 singles, ten #1 videos

★~ Did You Know:

The oldest mini golf course in existence is in Scotland: The Ladies’ Putting Club of St. Andrews was formed in 1867 as a members-only green for women golfers. Of course, the club was a result of the conventions of the day that decreed it improper for a lady to “take the club back past their shoulder.” There may not have been any windmills or loop-the-loop obstacles on this course, but the green was and remains one of the most prestigious miniature courses around.

All of the early miniature golf courses fell under a few broad categories, including the “pitch and putt,” the “regulation par-3,” and the “executive.” All of them used a short driver along with a putter, and kept the same design of the larger courses: sand traps, hills, ponds, and trees. In 1916, James Barber designed a miniature golf course in North Carolina called “Thistle Dhu.” The course was compact and featured a classical design, with fountains, gardens, and geometrically-designed walkway patterns. In 1926, a few innovative designers created miniature golf courses on the roof of a New York City skyscraper, and other buildings followed suit – around 150 rooftop courses were in existence by the end of the decade in New York City alone.

Once the Great Depression hit, regulation miniature golf courses were too expensive for most to afford, so “rinkie-dink” courses sprang up. These courses included obstacles scrounged from whatever was around: tires, rain gutters, barrels, and pipes. Eventually, the crazy obstacles became so popular that they became a regular feature in courses all over the US.

As for the first miniature golf franchise, you have 1929’s Tom Thumb Golf to thank for that. In the early 1930s, it was estimated that around 25% of the miniature golf courses in the US were Tom Thumb patented designs. Building on the popularity of the rinkie-dink courses, the Tom Thumbs featured similar hazards, built by workers in their “fantasy factory.” By the end of the 1930s, some 4 million people in the US were playing miniature golf.

In 1953, however, a mini golf revolution occurred. The founder of “Putt Putt Golf and Games,” Don Clayton, was fed up with the “trick shots” in the Tom Thumb style courses, and became an advocate for miniature golf as a serious sport. He designed a back-to-basics course of only straight putts, with none of the gimmicky hazards of Tom Thumb.

However Clayton’s,vision didn’t hold out. In 1955, Al Lomma and Lomma Enterprises, Inc. ushered in a new era of mechanically animated hazards like rotating windmill blades, twisting statues, and moving ramps, and the trend remained for decades.

Toward the end of the 1990s, country-club style miniature golf courses began to make a comeback, thanks in part to the interest of well-known celebrity golfers like Jack Nicklaus. Today, miniature golf competitions are held not only on courses with windmills and castles, but also on miniature replicas of famous greens, with the same sand and water traps courses used back in the early 20th century.

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Cole went shopping after school for a new pair of Lucky Jeans. He doesn’t like me to join him on these shopping trips, preferring the full attention of the cute girls in the store who gladly help him spend my money. When he came home from his shopping trip, he was excited about the new comfy, soft jeans he found and told me that a new guy at the store insisted he try on multiple pairs of jeans and model each pair. When they finally hit on the right fit he stood back and exclaimed, “OH. MY. GOD. Those jeans…look FABULOUS on you.” Cole said the sales advisor was almost emotional about how good the jeans fit. Cole now prefers stylish gay men to be his fashion advisors; clearly they know FABULOUS. With the risk of encouraging stereotyping, I said, “Darling, I couldn’t agree more! Those jeans are fabulous!”

TGIF!

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