Living History

When I was a kid, my favorite time of the year was summer. My second favorite time of the year was fall.

In the summer and at Thanksgiving, I was lucky enough to go on road trips with my family, to visit Vermont, New Hampshire, and Virginia.

I got to see my beloved cousins and enjoy the great outdoors while camping and visiting resorts, thanks to our grandfather.

One of our trips was to Manassas Battlefield when I was pretty young. I remember there being a lot of walking, and a lot of bugs.

Whenever we all, as a family, got to one of the monuments at Manassas, I just wanted to rest. But the joy of pushing a button on an interactive display kept me going. I push the button, and someone speaks!

When I pushed the button, a tired voice would come out of the monument, a tired man tired of battles would speak to me, and tell me to turn my head and look around at the ground on which he fought. He’d tell me exactly what he saw, that day, that time, way back when. He’d tell me what hardships he went through, and how doubtful he was about his chances to survive.

Living history.

I would hate to see the day that any of us Americans turn our back on history, no matter how much we might not like it.

I would hate to see the day when we silence the voices of those who walked this earth before we did.

I would hate to stop learning and trying to seek answers, when that should be our sole purpose here on earth.

Don’t look at me in that tone of voice.

I know a few people here likes Dorothy Parker and would enjoy something like this. Just imagine a bottle of Dorothy Parker Gin. Enjoy.

Annjrippin's Blog

Knowing that I am a big fan of the writer, a very dear friend of mine gave me a bottle of Dorothy Parker gin.  The gin is the sort of alcohol-rich distillation that would make the average sailor wince, but the bottle was wonderful with a picture of Mrs Parker printed on the inside and a little biography on the back:

It was too good to throw away, and so I decided to make it into a lamp.  I bought the stick-in bulb fitting and more or less forgot about it, as it took us so long to get through the ‘navy strength’ gin.  When the bottle was finally empty, I started to think about a shade.  For some reason I decided that a lampshade with some of Mrs Parker’s quotes would be just the thing, so I bought a kit which promised to be very easy to make up…

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One of America’s Favorites – Eggo Waffles

This is a fun history of Eggo waffles. I actually didn’t like them because I thought they tasted like cardboard. But I had family members who loved them. Heaven help the kid who ate Dad’s Eggo. Enjoy.

My Meals are on Wheels

Two Eggo toaster waffles with butter and syrup

Eggo is a brand of frozen waffles in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which is owned by the Kellogg Company. Several varieties are available, including homestyle, miniature, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla bliss, brown sugar cinnamon, buttermilk, and chocolate chip.

Other than waffles, Eggo also produces a selection of pancakes, French toast, and egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, of which varieties include ham or sausage.

By mid-June 2009, Eggo had a 73% share of the frozen waffle market in the United States.

Eggo waffles were invented in San Jose, California, by three brothers, Tony, Sam, and Frank Dorsa. In 1953, the Dorsa brothers introduced Eggo frozen waffles to supermarkets throughout the United States. Frozen waffles do not require a waffle iron to prepare.

When the Dorsas first introduced the product it was called “Froffles”, a portmanteau of frozen waffles. However people started referring…

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Saturday Songs for “the Quiet Beatle”

It is hump day so it is time to spin some music while you surf the net. This is some nice tunes. Enjoy.

The History of Ovaltine

I think some of us remember the decoder rings from Ovaltine. My mother would not buy it very often because other chocolate drinks were less expensive but I loved the malt. I didn’t know it was made from eggs. Enjoy

RecipeReminiscing

Ovaltine (Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovaltine, a registered trademark of Associated British Foods, is made by Wander AG, a subsidiary of Twinings which acquired the brand from Novartis in 2003, except in the United States and Australia, where Nestlé acquired the rights separately from Novartis later on.

History

Ovaltine was developed in Bern, Switzerland, where it is known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for “egg,” and malt, which were originally its main ingredients). Soon after its invention, the factory moved out to the village of Neuenegg, a few kilometres west of Berne, where it is still produced.

  

Ovomaltine was exported to Britain in 1909; a misspelling of the name on the trademark registration application led to the…

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Medieval Monday – Perre

Peas was a staple in Medieval times. I thought you would like to see one of the dishes they would have eaten. It don’t look bad at all. Enjoy.

RecipeReminiscing

Take green peas, and boil them in a pot; And when they are broken, draw the broth a good quantity through a strainer into a pot, And sit it on the fire; and take onions and parsley, and hew them small together, And cast them thereto; And take powder of Cinnamon and pepper and cast thereto, and let boil; And take vinegar and powder of ginger, and cast thereto; And then take Saffron and salt, a little quantity, and cast thereto; And take fair pieces of pandemaine, or else of such tender bread, and cut it in fair morsels, and cast thereto; And serve it so forth.

From Harleian MS. 4016, Volume II

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Christmas in the Air

I found this really interesting. Flying in 1933 Christmas. World depression going on and this was for the very wealthy.

RecipeReminiscing

An article from “FLIGHT” magazine, January 25, 1934

The Christmas Lunch Served on
Imperial Airways’ Flight for Athens
December 25, 1933

Illustration from the article

Most people on Christmas Day, whether they be in their own homes, travelling, or in whatever state it has pleased Providence to call them, endeavour to celebrate that anniversary by means of something extra special in the way of food and drink.

Food being prepared for Imperial Airways and stewards
waiting to pick up whatever is prepared for their next flight.

Imperial Airways always look after their passengers better, perhaps, than any other transport company in the world, and an amusing and effective example of this care is given by the Christmas lunch so carefully arranged for the passengers in Scipio, the fourengined Short flying boat which was to leave Brindisi on the morning of December 25, 1933, for Athens.

The programme did not go…

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The Cuyahoga Ignites

I think Chris will enjoy this. The blog is a couple of years old but still very timely. Boy do I remember when that river caught fire. We watched it burn on local TV.

bluejayblog

My friend, Aaron, was a high school junior at Cleveland, Ohio in 1969.  He remembers how his fellow Clevelanders used to ridicule the nasty Cuyahoga river. The Cuyahoga oozed its way through the city, brown with oily, bubbling goo.   The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration once noted that the lower Cuyahoga had no visible forms of life.

Cuyahoga is the Iroquoi name for “the crooked river” that winds its way through Northeastern Ohio. The two branches of the short river emerge from fresh water springs that come together as the main Cuyahoga. The river cuts through forests and farmland.  When it reaches the Akron vicinity, it meets a continental divide that forces a northwesterly flow.

This stretch from Akron to Cleveland is the lower Cuyahoga where the Ohio & Erie Canal ran parallel to it.  This section of the river has been the home to intense industrial activity lining the…

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Sanders Made Political History Upset In Michigan

This is one of the most stunning upsets in presidential primaries with Sanders coming from a 20 points behind in polling to win over Clinton by a couple of points.  At this time Michigan is still counting the last votes while I write this. Nate Silver at 538 gave Hillary Clinton a 99% chance to win.

Sanders had gone to bed while campaigning in Florida not expecting a win. He then hastily had to put together a short speech  in front of cameras out side the motel he was staying in Miami to thank everyone for their work in Michigan.

This election reminds me of Mondale and Hart in 1984.

Mondale gradually pulled away from Hart in the delegate count, but the race was not decided until June, on “Super Tuesday III”.^[3] Decided that day were delegates from five states: South Dakota, New Mexico, West Virginia, and the big prizes of California and New Jersey.^[4] The proportional nature of delegate selection meant that Mondale was likely to obtain enough delegates on that day to secure the stated support of an overall majority of delegates, and hence the nomination, no matter who actually “won” the states contested. However, Hart maintained that unpledged superdelegates that had previously claimed support for Mondale would shift to his side if he swept the Super Tuesday III primary.^[5] Once again, Hart committed a faux pas, insulting New Jersey shortly before the primary day. Campaigning in California, he remarked that while the “bad news” was that he and his wife Lee had to campaign separately, “[t]he good news for her is that she campaigns in California while I campaign in New Jersey.” Compounding the problem, when his wife interjected that she “got to hold a koala bear,” Hart replied that “I won’t tell you what I got to hold: samples from a toxic-waste dump.”^[5] While Hart won California, he lost New Jersey after leading in polls by as much as 15 points.

By the time the Democratic Convention started in San Francisco Mondale had more than enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries,_1984

I am expecting Sanders to chip away at Clinton’s lead in delegate count to win the nomination by June.  Tonight was that turning point.

I feel the Bern.

 

IRISH: THE FORGOTTEN WHITE SLAVES

This is really interesting about Irish slavery in the New World.