~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
July 24, 2013

★~ Today’s Quote: “Nobody will understand the craziness of your family better than your cousins”

★~ Cousins Day:

Today is the day for cousins to exchange funny childhood memories, stories about crazy relatives and share a hug or phone call. Cousin Carla is visiting and will swear along side me that our family is odder than your family. Try us.

★~ National Tequila Day: 

I’m going to make a Margarita today to toast Cousin Carla, and then clink her margarita with my little coke! Cheers!  In fact, we should all take the time to celebrate tequila in all its forms, from the incredibly cheap rocket fuel that powers house parties when the keg runs dry to the complex spirits designed to be sipped and savored like a fine whiskey. It’s only right that we show appreciation for what’s considered North America’s first native-born distilled spirit. I hope this is not going to be too much of a burden for you . . . if it is, you can always listen to some tequila music: “Tequila Sunrise” by Alan Jackson or The Eagles; Toby Keith’s “Whiskey Girl” — it’s not really about tequila, but it does mention tequila prominently in the chorus — and Deana Carter’s “You and Tequila.” There are a lot more to choose from, but this will get you off to a good start. However you choose to celebrate Tequila Day, let’s have a toast! One is one too many, and one more is never enough . . Via Con Dios. Cheers amigos!

♥~ The word tequila is an ancient Nahuatl term. The Nahuatl were the original people who lived in the area of Tequila.

♥~ Tequila must be distilled and bottled in Mexico to be genuine Tequila, otherwise is not Tequila but an imitation, this is recognized by US and European laws and Mexico considers tequila its national heritage property.

~ Tequila is made from an Agave plant – a tree generally found in the mountains in the Tequila region of Mexico. I

~ There are three simple steps to shooting tequila. Lick the salt, shot the tequila and suck on a slice of lime.

~ The US is the number one tequila market – much larger than Mexico

~ According to a 2008 Brown-Forman survey, on average, Americans consume 185,000 margaritas per hour. The South (Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, etc.) accounts for 34.9 percent of margarita sales. (Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

~ And what about that little worm? The famous “worm” that is found in some bottles of Mezcal. (Tequila is never bottled with a worm. The CRT specifically prohibits placing a worm in the bottle.) The worm is actually the larva of one of two moths that live on the agave plant. The reason for adding the worm to the bottle of Mezcal is obscure. But one story, is that the worm serves as proof of high proof, which is to say that if the worm remains intact in the bottle, the percentage of alcohol in the spirit is high enough to preserve the pickled worm

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1933 – During his third Fireside Chat, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt showed why the homey, warm, comfortable discussion was, indeed, a fireside chat. The President stopped the discussion on the air (remember peeps, this was radio) and asked for a glass of water, which he then sipped. Newsman Robert Trout is credited with coming up with the name, Fireside Chat, because of real moments like this.

♥~ 1987 – Hulda Crooks, at 91 years of age, climbed Mt. Fuji. Hulda became the oldest person to climb Japan’s highest peak. When she got to the top, she was heard to say, “Hey, dudes — how do I get down from here?”

♥ ~ 1951 – As America’s first major drive-through hamburger chain, Jack in the Box® restaurants (founded in 1951) helped pave the way for a new drive through dining experience.

♥ ~ 1952 – High Noon, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, opened at U.S. movie theaters. The role won Cooper an Academy Award for Best Actor. The title song, sung by Tex Ritter, also won an Oscar. Cooper did the movie for $60,000 plus a percentage of the gross.

★~ Born Today:

♥~ 1898 – Amelia Earhart -the 1st woman to fly solo across the Atlantic; 1st woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California. Sadly she never managed to complete her mission to fly around the world in 1937. She disappeared July 2, 1937 near Howland Island in the Pacific during a round the world trip from Florida to California. She is often remembered for never letting anything stop her from pursuing her dreams.

♥ ~ 1920 – Bella Abzug (Stavitsky) feminist, attorney, U.S. Congresswoman; died Mar 31, 1998

♥ ~ 1951 – Lynda Carter actress: Wonder Woman, Partners in Crime, Hawkeye; Miss World-USA

♥ ~ 1957 – Pam Tillissinger: After a Kiss, How Gone Is Goodbye, Blue Rose Is, Happy Ever After (Comes One Day at a Time), Drawn to the Fire, Real Man

♥~ 1962 – Kevin Butler football: Chicago Bears kicker: Super Bowl XX

♥~ 1969 – Jennifer Lopez actress: In Living Color, Selena, Hotel Malibu, Money Train, Anaconda, Angel Eyes

★~ Good to Know: 

♥~ Use the chart above to determine the relationship between you and another relative.

1. Determine the common ancestors you and the other person share.
2. Starting with your common ancestors in the upper left corner, find yourself across the top and note the column.
3. Again starting with your common ancestors in the upper left corner, find the other person down the left side and note the row.
4. Go to the box where your column and their row coincide.
5. This is the relationship you share with the other person.

♥~ 26 states allow first cousin marriages; most people can marry their cousin in the US.

♥~ US prohibitions against cousin marriages predate modern genetics.

♥~ No European country prohibits marriage between first cousins. It is also legal throughout Canada and Mexico to marry your cousin. The U.S. is the only western country with cousin marriage restrictions.

♥~ Children of non-related couples have a 2-3% risk of birth defects, as opposed to first cousins having a 4-6% risk.

♥~ Second cousins have little, if any increased chance of having children with birth defects.

♥~ The frequency of cousin marriages in the USA is about 1 in 1,000. The frequency of cousin marriages in Japan is about 4 in 1,000

♥~ It is estimated that 20 percent of all couples worldwide are first cousins. It is also estimated that 80 percent of all marriages historically have been between first cousins!

♥~ In some cultures, the term cousin and mate are synonymous.

♥~ Albert Einstein married his first cousin. And so did Charles Darwin, both had children with very high IQ’s

♥~ Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest serving US president in history married his cousin (not a first cousin, however they shared the same last name).

♥~ Current studies indicate that cousin couples have a lower ratio of miscarriages — perhaps because body chemistry of cousins is more similar. The verdict is still out.

♥~ We are all cousins. No two people are more distantly related than 50th cousins

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Why yes, it’s true! Today is my birthday! And, I’m delighted to share it with Amelia Earhart and Lynda Carter . . . now where did I leave my Wonder Woman bracelets? I’m celebrating with Cole and Cousin Carla, doing we don’t know yet what, yet. The weather is amazing, last night it dipped to below 70 and the high today will be 74F. The Chicago Botanical Gardens may be in our future. 

Remember, I told you one of my favorite things about Cousin Carla visits is she cuts up watermelon for us? See…!

And she’s witty. . .compliments of Cousin Carla. . .

Knock Knock,
Whose there?
Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe who
Cantaloupe because my dad took the ladder.

Please go forth and have a wonderful day . . . after all, it’s my birthday!

Odd Loves Company!

♥~