~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
February 1,2012

Post updated: February 1, 2013

 

★~ Welcome February: A time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. –  Edith Sitwell

★~ Working Naked Day:

Things could get a little weird today. Working Naked Day is a holiday for the over 30 million Americans that work from home each day.  It seems the need  to dress for success has fallen the way of job benefits and co-workers you can complain to each day about your spouse, your kids and your neighbors. There is one big benefit to working from your kitchen table or living room couch: You can wear whatever you want … or nothing at all. That’s what inspired Dallas business consultant Lisa Kanarek to create a holiday in 2010 where home-bound workers can bare all and celebrate.

Though working naked is something of a novelty for most people, it’s just another day at the office for the folks at the American Association for Nude Recreation, the largest nudism advocacy group in the United States.

“I always work naked. Always,” said Carolyn Hawkins, public relations coordinator for the Kissimmee, Fla., organization. “It’s very stress free. If you’re not wearing clothes while you work, your mind’s more free.” (Cousin Carla, why are these people always from Florida and usually from Kissimmee?)

Celebrate however you see fit but I would keep a nice thick robe handy in case the UPS  man drops by.

Let’s ask Diane and Debbie both bloggers who work at home, their thoughts about this new trend to bare all.

★~ National Serpent Day:

Rocking gently on the waves, a small fishing boat watches the swell of the seas, waiting for the day’s catch to willingly swim into the waiting trap. A fog closes in and the day turns dark before it’s time. Suddenly, they feel a thud against the boat. The waters stir and a creature like nothing they’ve ever seen before emerges from the depths. Petrified, they look up, up a long neck to see bright flashing eyes, the head of a sea-turtle and the lithe, smooth body of a snake…..Cue! PURSE!

Today we celebrate the serpent! Spending the whole day recognizing the wonderful things serpents do for us. Boots, handbags, wallets, belts. Opps so sorry Peta! I really hope I did not offend you.  God knows, I wouldn’t want that…..now where are my snakeskin boots?

★~ National Baked Alaska Day:

Baked Alaska is a decadent dessert made with ice cream, sponge cake, and toasted meringue. Although the named “Baked Alaska” did not emerge until the 19th century, this dish is part of a long culinary tradition.

The concept of serving cream and cake together dates back to the Renaissance. The cooks of the era were the first to adorn their baked goods with a whipped topping. This laid the foundation for Baked Alaska, but it does not account for two of the dessert’s distinguishing characteristics—temperature and texture.

The Chinese were the first culture to cook pastry over an ice cream filling, which results in a delicious combination of hot and cold components. Credit is also due to the American physicist Benjamin Thompson, who experimented with the heat resistance of beaten egg whites and discovered how to make meringue.

Whether you prefer to call it Baked Alaska, glace au four, omelette a la norvegienne, or Norwegian omelette, celebrate National Baked Alaska Day with a scrumptious serving of this unique dessert!

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1964 – The headline in Billboard magazine read, “Indiana Gov. Puts Down ‘Pornographic’ Wand Tune.” Governor Matthew Welsh had declared Louie, Louie, by The Kingsmen (on Wand Records), to be pornographic.

♥~ 1987 – Terry Williams of Los Gatos, CA won the largest slot machine payoff to that time. He put $4.9 million in his pockets after getting four lucky 7s on a machine in Reno, NV

♥~ 2005 – A jury awarded $15.6 million to Russell Christoff, kindergarten teacher in Antioch, CA. Christoff’s image had been used for years without his permission on Taster’s Choice coffee labels.

♥~ 2008 – To the sound of blasting samba, men dressed as nuns swilled beer and danced down the streets — just a part of the kick-off of five days of uninhibited carnival madness in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1901 – (William) Clark Gable actor; most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh.  In 1999, the American Film Institute named Gable seventh among the greatest male stars of all time. He was nicknamed ‘The King of Hollywood.’ died Nov 16, 1960

♥~ 1919 – Charles S. Dubin TV director: M*A*S*H, The Defenders, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O [1960s], Kojak, Father Dowling Mysteries; died Sep 6, 2011

♥~ 1968 – Lisa Marie Presley singer: Lights Out, Savior, Nobody Noticed It, Important, Indifferent, To Whom It May Concern but better known for being Elvis’ daughter and marrying Michael Jackson.

★~ Did You Know: 

♥~ February along with January, was introduced to the Roman calendar by Numa Pompilous when the calendar was extended from ten to twelve months.

♥~ The Romans and the Celts regarded February as the start of spring.

♥~ The word February coms from the word “februa’-which means cleansing or purification, and reflects the rituals undertaken before spring.

♥~ The birthstone for February is amethyst which is purple quartz. Amethyst was a symbol of royalty in the Middle Ages. It also symbolizes clear-headedness and quick-wittedness.

♥~ The flower for the month of February is the iris which is Greek for rainbow. The iris represents faith, wisdom and hope. An alternate flower for February is the violet. It represents faithfulness, modesty and virtue.

♥~ Aquarius and Pisces are the astrological signs for February. Birthdays from February 1st through the 18th fall under the sign of Aquarius. February 19th through the 29th birthdays fall under the sign of Pisces.

♥~ In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the seasonal equivalent of August in the Northern Hemisphere.

♥~  February is National Grapefruit Month.

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Hope everyone has a most fabulous first day of the new month! I know many of us were glad to say goodbye to effin’ January. I have to admit, though, February has never been my favorite month; old chocolate wrapped in red cellophane depresses me. However, I do like Groundhog Day! Can’t wait to hear Phil’s weather report this year!

It was 50 in Chicago yesterday and it is supposed to be close to 50 today. I called my sweet mother in Albuquerque to share Chicago’s temperature with her and she said, “Yes, it is warm but you have rain.”  Looking out my car window at a beautiful clear sky, I told her that it was not raining. She insisted I was wrong, and that it was in fact raining in Chicago because she had read it was going to rain in the Albuquerque newspaper  – so I turned on my window shield wipers.

Cole is going to be able to tell his children,  ‘I remember when I was a boy growing up in Chicago, the temperature was 50 degrees ABOVE one February.’ I am not complaining about the warm weather but I do find it a little unsettling–like freezing is hiding and is just waiting to jump out at me–and I do find it funny that Chicagoans dress for February regardless of the temperature; hat, boots, and down jacket.

Odd Loves Company!

♥

Found them!! Now I am celebrating Serpent day–the right way.