~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
October 19, 2013

★~ Today’s Quote:  “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh:

★~ National Mammogram Day:

There probably aren’t many people who haven’t had a close friend or loved one diagnosed with breast cancer. In fact, about 12 percent of American women will develop invasive breast cancer at some time during their lives. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The American Cancer Society recommends the following regarding early detection of breast cancer:

* Beginning at age 40, healthy women should have a mammogram and a clinical breast exam every year.

* Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam every three years.

* All women, beginning in their 20s should perform regular self-examinations of their breasts. 20% of breast cancer does NOT show up on a mammogram which is why self exams and clinical exams are so important.

★~ Sweetest Day: 

Originally named “The Sweetest Day of the Year,” this holiday celebrates all things sweet. Although it may sound similar to Valentine’s Day, Sweetest Day does not focus exclusively on romantic love. Instead it serves as a reminder that a thoughtful deed makes life a whole lot sweeter.

Sweetest Day originated in Cleveland, Ohio in 1921. A committee of twelve candy confectioners decided to spread joy and cheer to those that were often forgotten during the holidays. They distributed over 20,000 boxes of candy to newsboys, orphans, hospital patients, the elderly, and the poor across the city. Although Sweetest Day is most popular in the Great Lakes region, the holiday is gaining recognition nationwide.

★~ Seafood Bisque Day:

Seafood bisque is French soup that includes lobster, crab, shrimp, and crayfish. Some culinary historians believe that the word bisque is derived from the fact that this type of soup is cooked not once, but twice. Others believe that the origin of the word relates to the Bay of Biscay. Regardless of the origin, seafood bisque is fabulous! If you want to make your own seafood bisque, all you need to do is this:  Lightly sauté the crustaceans in their shells, then simmer them in wine. Once cooked, purée them in a food processor. Then add cream to the mixture to thicken the soup to your desired consistency. After that, just add a sprig of parsley and it’s ready to serve! Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s is, of course, another option.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1872 – The world’s largest gold nugget (215 kg) was found in New South Wales, Australia.

♥~ 1982  – Auto manufacturer John DeLorean was arrested in Los Angeles and charged in a $24 million cocaine scheme aimed at salvaging his bankrupt sports car company. He was tried and acquitted.

♥~ 1985 – Take on Me, by a-ha, reached number one on the pop music charts.

♥~ 1983 –The annual 2-day White Elephant Sale at the Cleveland Convention Center made $427,935.21, most ever raised at a 2-day rummage sale.

♥~ 2003 – In London, magician David Blaine emerged from a clear plastic box that had been suspended by a crane over the banks of the Thames River. Blaine had entered the box on Sep 5 and survived only on water for 44 days and nights.

★~ Famous Birthdays:

♥~ 1850 –  Annie Smith Peck One of the world’s  most renowned mountain climbers.When Annie turned 45, she gained international recognition by climbing the Matterhorn — After the Matterhorn, she climbed the 21,812 foot-high Huascaran, a mountain peak in Peru. She  was the first American to reach this high a pinnacle in the Western Hemisphere. Next she climbed, Mt. Coropuna, also in Peru. It was a mere 562 feet shorter than Huascaran. Not bad for a 61-year-old woman. When Annie got to the top of this mountain she placed a banner there that said, “Votes for Women.”

♥~ 1937 – Peter Max (Finkelstein) pop artist: psychedelic best-selling poster; designer: postage stamp: Expo ’74; 1982 World’s Fair official artist

♥~ 1945 – John Lithgow Emmy Award-winning actor: 3rd Rock from the Sun]; Tony Award-winning actor: The Changing Room[1973]; Twilight Zone-The Movie, I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can, The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment, Raising Cain, The Pelican Brief, Cliffhanger, Twenty Good Years

★~ Good to Know: 

♥~ The Fluffiest Rabbit…

♥~ The Fluffiest Cow…

♥~ Feel Good Story: Facebook used to rally 100 to stand behind boy being bullied

♥~  Super Giant Peanut Putter Cup:  Chocolatier Nick Monte of the Village Chocolate Shoppe in Bennington, Vermont, made a peanut butter cup that weighs 230 pounds, is 59.5 inches wide, is covered in  70.1 pounds of chocolate, with 159.7 pounds of peanut butter on the inside. Total weight 229.8 pounds. That’s sweet! Is this a world record? The papers and stats have been filed with the Guinness people, so we will find out soon.

♥~ Florida Alligator Evicted From Hot Tub:  Deputies in Vero Beach, Florida, arrived at a home to serve the resident with a drug-related warrant. But they found something more -an alligator in a hot tub! Resident Tony Wells told officers that the alligator was there when he moved in, so he kept feeding it. Well, what would you do under those circumstances? Trying to remove the alligator yourself could be dangerous, and feeding it seems prudent so it won’t eat you! Wells was charged with possession of an alligator without a permit, and the gator was removed by Fish & Wildlife officers.

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Today our Aussie is touring more of Chicago while I get ready to host a brunch tomorrow. Yep, I am fixin’ food. Wish me luck and pray for my guests. Tonight we have tickets for the improv club Second City. Antoinette has been to the States a number of times, but never Chicago so we want to make sure we hit all the highlights. It’s complicated how we all met, but the common ground is Facebook – El Morno. I’ll have to tell you more in another post…

Cole is off to Champaign Urban for the football game. It did not work out exactly like the parents planned, but I’m committed to not worrying and anticipating the kids will be safe and fun. More on this tomorrow or perhaps late tonight….

Wishing you all a beautiful Saturday!

Odd Loves Company!