~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
May 4, 2013

★~ Today’s Quote: ‘May The Fourth Be With You’!

★~ International Firefighters Day:

FIrefighters Day was proposed by firefighter JJ Edmondson following a tragic wildfire in Australia that took the lives of five firefighters on January 4, 1999.

The symbol for International Firefighters Day is a red and blue ribbon. The color red was chosen to stand for fire and blue was chosen to represent water. These colors also signify emergency services around the world

We celebrate International Firefighters Day by honoring  Firefighters’  and recognizing the sacrifices they make to ensure that our communities and environment are as safe..

~ Why Dalmatians? Back in the days Dalmatians were trained to escort the horse-drawn fire engine and protect the horses from stray dogs and other animals on the way the the fire. The distinctive spots of the Dalmatian made it easy for the horses to distinguish them from other dogs (not sure about this but…). During the fire, Dalmatians seemed to keep the horses calm while safeguarding the fire equipment.  Back at the firehouse Dalmatians provided companionship and keep the firehouse free of rats. And to top it all off–Dalmatians are a darn good looking mascot.

~  Saint Florian, is the patron saint of firefighters.

 ★~ Star Wars Day:

 

“Star Wars” Day is here. For the uninitiated, “Star Wars” Day — an unofficial and fan-created “holiday” — occurs every year on May 4, because “Star Wars” fans love their puns: “May the Fourth be with you.” (Get it? Instead of “May the Force be with you.”)

“Star Wars” Day isn’t sanctioned by Lucas film (though the company is all for it) or the U.S. government, but that doesn’t stop millions of “Star Wars” fans from celebrating the holiday. Ironically, there actually is a “Star Wars” Day on the official record: the Los Angeles City Council declared May 25 to be “Star Wars” Day because that was the day “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” was released in 1977.

How to celebrate? Watch Star Wars movies, or just acknowledge people by saying, “May the fourth be with you.”

★~  Respect For Chicken’s Day: 

Chickens provides us with meat, eggs, and feather for our pillows.  It’s about time they  got a little respect.  The United Poultry Concerns wants us to “celebrate chickens throughout the world and protest the bleakness of their lives in farming operations”  Chickens do not have to be treated inhumanely in order to be enjoy as food on our table. Consider how you can support farms that treat their animals humanely and with respect.

★~  National Orange Juice Day:

The idea of drinking OJ in the morning stems from the 1920s when California and Florida fruit growers started touting the health benefits of vitamin C, a newly discovered vitamin, in their promotional campaigns. And of-course we all know that a day without Orange Juice is a day without sunshine.  For a real eye opener try  Spicy Orange Juice

★~  Candied Orange Peel Day: 

I have to wonder who that first pioneer women was that looked at pile of orange peels, thought, ‘Gee, what a waste,’ and then sliced the peels up, boiled them in sugar-water and thought “I’ll preserve these orange peels so my family can snack on them and I can add them to my holiday cookies and fruit cakes.”  I wonder if she ever considered that there would be a Candied Orange Peel Day? Just wondering. Here is a recipe If you want to make your own Candied Orange Peels 

★~ Today in History: 

♥~ 1875 – Kentucky Derby:  Every year on the first Saturday of May, over 150,000 people gather in Louisville, Kentucky to witness the most exciting two minutes in sports. This afternoon, a group of three-year-old Thoroughbred horses will race for the chance to win the first “jewel” of the Triple Crown. It is an occasion famous for its extravagant hats, mint julep cocktails, and general pomp and circumstance. The history of the Kentucky Derby is as exciting as the race itself. In 1863, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark attended the Grand Prix de Paris horserace in Paris. Inspired by what he saw, he returned to America and organized the construction of a beautiful new horseracing facility for the Louisville Jockey Club. Today we know it as Churchill Downs. The first Kentucky Derby race took place at the track in 1875.

♥~1964 – Another World premiered on NBC-TV. The soap opera dramatized the story of two families: the Randolphs and the Matthews.

♥~1968 – McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich made its debut. The introductory price was 49 cents.

♥~1970 – – Four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose ‘Ohio’ which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.

♥~2006 – U.S. Judge Leonie Brinkema sent Zacarias Moussaoui to prison for life, to “die with a whimper,” for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Moussaoui retorted, “God save Osama bin Laden. You will never get him.” He was wrong.

★~Born Today:

♥~1929 – Audrey (Edda Kathleen) Hepburn (van Heemstra) Academy award-winning actress: Roman Holiday [1953]; Gigi, War and Peace, Love in the Afternoon, The Unforgiven, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Children’s Hour, Charade, My Fair Lady; died Jan 20, 1993;

♥~ 1959 – Randy Travis (Randy Bruce Traywick) singer: Forever and Ever Amen, On the Other Hand, Diggin’ Up Bones, Always and Forever

♥~1958 –  Keith Haring’s  pop art American artist was inspired by street styles and dance music of the 1980s and mentored by Andy Warhol. Google Doodle celebrates Keith Haring

♥~1961 – Mary Beth McDonough actress: The Waltons, Boston Legal, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Christmas at Cadillac Jack’s, One of Those Nights, Waiting to Act, Mom, Midnight Offerings, Lovely But Deadly

★~ Good to Know: In advance of today’s Kentucky Derby, here are a few facts about the most exciting two minutes in sports.

♥~ The first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875. It was the brainchild of Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., who wanted to create an American answer to England’s Epsom Derby.

♥~The Derby runs for 1.25 miles or, in racing-speak, 10 furlongs.

♥~ The Derby is frequently referred to as “The Run for the Roses,” because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year.The winner’s garland of roses was introduced in 1932.

♥~ American racehorses could throw a killer group birthday party. No matter their actual date of birth, thoroughbreds are considered one year older on January 1.

♥~ 54% of all Derby entrants since 2000 made their racing debut in July, August or September, according to research by the Twitter feed @DerbyContenders. That includes 16 of 21 entrants (with an also-eligible) last year, as well as each of the past six winners.

♥~The last Kentucky Derby victor to break its maiden at Churchill Downs was Broker’s Tip in 1933, who had never won a race until the Derby.

♥~ The last horse to unseat its rider in the Derby: Granville in 1936.

♥~The last time there was a post-time delay for the Derby: 1989, when Triple Buck returned to the paddock to have a shoe reset. Before that it was 1965, when the race was held up a half-hour because of a fire in the clubhouse.

♥~ The last Derby winner to be named Horse of the Year in the same season was Charismatic in 1999.

♥~ Churchill sold about 425,000 cans of beer last Derby and Oaks Day combined. That’s 11/2 cans for every man, woman and child attending the Derby (165,307) and Oaks (112,552). By way of comparison, 120,000 Mint Juleps were sold. No wonder that 180 tons of trash must be disposed of after the Derby.

♥~ The 14-karat gold Derby trophy weighs 31/2 pounds and is 22 inches tall, including its jade base.

♥~ Only eight Derby winners have rallied from dead last to win, the latest being 50-1 Mine That Bird in 2009.

♥~ This is the 100th anniversary since Donerail, ridden by Louisvillian Roscoe Goose, paid $184.90 to win – still a Derby record.

♥~ The youngest jockey to win the Derby was 15-year-old Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton on Azra in 1892. You’ll never see that eclipsed because you have to be 16 now to get a racetrack license in Kentucky.

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Busy Saturday. Cole takes the SAT this morno, and has Prom tonight. I plan to spring clean my shoes. Really. The whole shoe review reminded me that it has been a long time since I had gone through my shoes to see what I actually own and wear. I hope the end result is a shoe rack built by Prom Boy.

Hope everyone has a super Saturday. I will be back with Odds and Ends, sooner or later.

Oh wait…A picture requested by El Morno friend,  Nancy B and yes, I did wear them out.  A few people starred and a couple people smiled…it was FUN.

Remember: If it makes you smile, giggle or laugh…Do it again!

Odd Loves Company!