Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Forefather's' Day DECEMBER 22, 2015

on and off, i will be available by email

DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate Forefathers' Day

Few things are more important to Americans than heritage. Remembering where you come from, and how hard you’ve worked to get where you are are all integral parts of the concept of the American dream. For those reasons, no holiday could be more American in nature than Forefathers’ Day, a holiday that celebrates the first ever pilgrims courageously sailing across the vast ocean they knew very little about at the time, in search of a better life and freedom from religious prosecution. When they set foot on the shores of North America, they themselves were the beginning of a new country that would one day become a world superpower. Now that’s definitely an event worth celebrating.
Forefathers’ Day is a commemoration of the pilgrims who sailed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Mayflower, in 1620. As they had left England in search of better days, the Pilgrim Fathers settled on US territory, which they subsequently christened New England. And as they had set sail from Plymouth, England, they decided to give their landing spot the whimsical name of Plymouth Rock. Therefore, Forefathers’ Day is a holiday celebrated mainly in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 22. The holiday was introduced to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1769, so it has quite a long history and tradition. However, the joyous occasion was first celebrated in 1769, because 149 years after the forefathers actually arrived in North America, some descendants decided to gather for a feast in honour of their ancestors, who would have been their great-great-grandfathers.
The contemporary version of the feast is the Old Colony Club or Mayflower Society dinner party, which usually involves eating succotash. Nowadays, succotash is a hearty stew made from vegetables and often thick slices of poultry placed on top, but at the time, it was nothing more than sweet corn and and different kinds of beans, sometimes baked in a casserole-type dish under a pie crust to make a sort of pot pie. In fact, Succotash (from the Narragansett word sohquttahhash) means “broken corn kernels”, and at the very very beginning that’s pretty much all it was. Other ingredients may have been added later as well, including tomatoes and green or sweet red peppers. To celebrate Forefathers’ Day properly, you could try preparing and eating the hallowed Forefather’s traditional succotash, just to get a tiny taste of all the hardships and discomforts that they had to go through to help make America what it is today. Succotash is in no way bad-tasting, mind you; it just doesn’t have much to offer in the way of nutrition when you think about all of the hard, physical work that had to be done at that time. Make it yourself using this easy recipe:
Forefathers’ Style Succotash
2 cups fresh lima beans
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 tablespoons oil
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Place lima beans in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Sauté diced onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Stir in corn; cook, stirring often, 6 minutes or until corn is tender. Stir in beans and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in butter, and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chives.
thanks, helen for the vintage pics 
1940's Christmas Santa Wall Pocket

Word of the Day


Definition:(noun) Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense.
Usage:When I asked why he missed the meeting, he gave me some rigmarole about the train being late.



Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (1912)

Taylor married future US President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1934. In 1943, she bought a debt-ridden radio station and built it into a multimillion-dollar broadcasting company, later helping to finance her husband's first election campaign. As first lady, she played an active role in politics while supporting the "war on poverty," environmental causes, early education, and national beautification projects. She later wrote A White House Diary.

Soyaluna (Hopi Soyal Ceremony)

The Hopi traditionally believed that at the time of the Winter Solstice, the Sun had traveled as far from the Earth as he ever did. The purpose of Soyaluna is to prevent the disappearance of the Sun at the time of year when the days are at their shortest. The main ceremony takes place in the kiva, a large, circular underground room. Hopi priests prepare the kiva by scattering cornmeal around the floor. A stack of corn serves as an altar, surrounded by stalks and husks. At the solstice, everyone assembles in the kiva for rituals designed to bring the sun back for another agricultural year.

Scientists Have Found that Part of Your Brain Where Christmas Spirit Lives

If you looked inside the brains of Ebenezer Scrooge and his mild-mannered clerk Bob Cratchit, you may find biology explains their conflicting views on Christmas

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1858 - Composer Giacomo Puccini was born.

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If You Were Born Today, December 22

You are an emotional person who is very connected to your past. You are exceptionally giving and supportive, sometimes to the point of martyrdom! You have to try not to feel resentful for all that you do for others by keeping this trait in balance. You would make an excellent counsellor. Your love life is likely very changeful. You are extremely hard-working and few can do the job as well as you. Sometimes you are impatient with others who don't seem to have the same work ethic as you, but you must understand that few do! You can be a perfectionist. You are a wonderful combination of conservative and creative or inspired. Famous people born today: Diane Sawyer, Vanessa Paradis, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Ralph Fiennes.

Picture of the day
Willow tit
The willow tit (Poecile montanus) is a passerinebird in the tit family commonly found throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and northern Asia. These birds feed on insectscaterpillars, and seeds, and nest in holes in (mostly conifer) trees.

Picture of tourists gazing at the Grand Canyon in Arizona

A Day on the South Rim

Photograph by Stephen Wilkes
Visitors take in the spectacular expanse of the Grand Canyon. In order to make this image, photographer Stephen Wilkes was positioned in the Desert View Watchtower on the canyon’s South Rim. He made 2,282 photos over 27 hours, then digitally combined some of them to create this panoramic scene.

il_570xN.883110916_gckx1950's Christmas Santa Apron





Santa Shelf Sitter

Vintage Holt Howard Planter Santa Express

crochet, CHRISTMAS

crochet, CHRISTMAS

crochet, CHRISTMAS

crochet, CHRISTMAS

crochet, CHRISTMAS

Vintage Wrapping Paper Norcross Santa Wrapping Paper

cheese platter in shape of a christmas wreath
cheese wreath

Vintage Twinkie Micro Lite Santa Novelty Pin

stephanie o'dea

CrockPot "Peking Duck" Recipe

I have cracked the duck-in-the-crockpot code. You need to use a rack. Too much liquid forms in the pot, and the meat needs to be up above it. I used a little round rack that came with my rice cooker, but you could use anything---an inverted ramekin to lift the bird up out of the collected juice, a collapsible steamer basket, foil balls, etc.

This duck tastes great, is seasoned nicely, and held up in the crockpot

The Ingredients.

--4 to 5 pound duck
--5 whole green onions
--4 star anise
--1 inch ginger, peeled
--2 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice (or you can make your own ... below)
--1 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
--1 tablespoon honey
--2 tablespoons soy sauce 

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart crockpot, and insert a cooking rack of some sort in the bottom of your pot. Wash the green onions and lay on top of the rack.

Skin the duck the best you can. Peel ginger and stuff inside cavity, with the star anise. In a small bowl, combine dry spices. Rub all over the bird, inside and out. Place the duck inside your crockpot, breast up. Drizzle on soy sauce and honey.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Serve with plum sauce.

I made a down-and-dirty plum sauce:
--1/3 cup plum jam
--1 tablespoon soy sauce 
--1 tablespoon white sugar
--1 teaspoon garlic powder

The Verdict.

I was happy at how this duck held up in the crockpot, and how most of the grease dripped away. The meat was nicely seasoned, and tasted great. We really liked the plum sauce.

il_570xN.883784746_dvz31950's Childs Christmas Santa Slippers


Christmas cracker templates

Vintage Japan Dream Pets Reindeer and Santa Popping out of the Chimney

Christmas Craft for Kids - Lacing Ornaments


Easy To Make Noise Makers

Image of Easy To Make Noise Makers

Get the kids in the spirit of New Year’s Eve as they create their own easy to make noise makers. These will also double as an instrument to teach them rhythm.


Two Plastic disposable tumblers
Colored electrical or craft tape
Things to fill shaker (I used pony beads and wood beads. Other suggestions: beans, rice, popcorn kernels, jingle bells, small stones)
Paint and paintbrush, or other decorations for outside of the shaker


Fill one of the plastic glasses with things that make noise. I used pony beads and wood beads, but other suggestions are beans, rice, popcorn kernels, jingle bells, or small stones. Place the other tumbler on top of the first one to enclose the shaker.
Next, secure the glasses together by wrapping the edges together with the colored electrical or craft tape. Press down well.
Decorate the outside of the party shaker. Use paints and a paintbrush to add designs like I did, or try stickers! Enjoy the midnight countdown!

Vintage Holt Howard Big Head Magnetic Salt and Pepper Shakers


4 Vintage Santa Claus Paper Plates

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. - Confucius

1950's Christmas book Santa


Holt Howard Winking Santa Pitcher

"Welcome" in Kikuyu (Kenya) - Ni mwamukirwo

thanks, elaine


thanks, shelley



thanks, patty