Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Someone Called For Soup? A Random and Happy Tuesday Post

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus 


Last week, Carl told me he wasn't feeling well and stayed home.  The moment he said the words from across the room, I whipped out my mask and banished him, keeping my mask on and avoiding close contact with the whole family.


It turned out to be a good thing.  He tested positive for Covid the next day, and his parents a couple of days later.  They're all on the mend, but it meant i didn't do his room yesterday.  Ms. V called and asked me if i could make soup for her family instead, and i was happy to do it.


Because i was masked and avoided contact with them while i was there, and have had no symptoms (thank heaven!), all my other clients have been okay with me doing their houses while they are not home and with me in "full regalia" (KN-95 mask, face shield, gloves).  Grandma and Grandpa let me come and simply make sure i stayed out of whatever room they were in at the time.


That's why yesterday i went and did my new every-other-Monday client in the morning instead of the afternoon, then shopped, then made so much Chicken Vegetable Soup there was enough to leave at home for Sweetie and Brother-in-Law.


My soup method this time:


sauté Cajun "trinity" (onion, bell pepper, celery) in the cast iron pot, separate into two other pots (one for the sick family, one to stay here)


cube and sauté chicken breasts, some in each pot


dice or chop and sauté, one at a time, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage, some in each pot


deglaze the pan with low sodium chicken broth (Ms. V specifically asked that it be low in sodium, and since she asked on Sunday and i did this on Monday, i didn't have time to boil up my own stock)


pour some of the broth in both pots to cover and cook until all the veggies are tender


add no salt petite diced canned tomatoes


season to taste (the pot that stayed here got plenty of salt!)



There have been no complaints from any of the eaters at either house, so i think it turned out.


In honor of chicken soup, some funnies.
















Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!






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Today is:


Backward Day -- no info on the origin, but if you want to do something backward, go ahead


Eat Brussels Sprouts Day -- sauté in olive oil with some garlic, they are worth it!


Eve of Brigantia -- Ireland (St. Bridget's Eve, the night when she crosses the countryside and bestows blessings)


Feast of Great Typos -- another that no one will claim inventing, but since we've all made them, we may as well celebrate them


Feast of Isis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)


H&ll is Freezing Over Day -- internet generated day to review the list of things you said you would do when h*ll freezes over


Independence Day -- Nauru(1968)


Inspire Your Heart With the Arts Day -- begun by Rev Jayne Howard Feldman as a day to use art to feed your soul


National Brandy Alexander Day


National Bug Busting Day -- UK (this is one idea that needs export to the whole world! the aim is to have every child checked for head lice on the same day, and thus get rid of them in one fell swoop, so they don't circulate endlessly)


National Gorilla Suit Day -- Mad Magazine's Maddest Artist, Don Martin, said this is the day to pull that gorilla suit out of the closet and step out in style.


Phlegm-Green, Moldy-Grey, and Gazzard Day -- Fairy Calendar (don't ask what color Gazzard is, it doesn't exist in the human world, and you don't want it to)


Play An Old Game You Haven’t Played in Years Night -- internet generated, and a great idea


Scotch Tape Day -- it hit the market this day in 1928


St. John Bosco's Day (Patron of apprentices, boys, editors, laborers, schoolchildren, students, young people-especially youth of Mexican descent)




Birthdays Today:


Justin Timberlake, 1981

Kerry Washington, 1977

Portia de Rossi, 1973

Minnie Driver, 1971

Kelly Lynch, 1959

Jhn Lydon, 1956

Nolan Ryan, 1947

Charlie Musselwhite, 1944

Richard Gephardt, 1941

Jessica Walter, 1941

Stuart Margolin, 1940

Queen Beatrix, 1938

suzanne Pleshette, 1937

Philip Glass, 1937

James Franciscus, 1934

Ernie Banks, 1931

Jean Simmons, 1929

Carol Channing, 1923

Norman Mailer, 1923

Mario Lanza, 1921

Jackie Robinson, 1919

Thomas Merton, 1915

Garry Moore, 1915

Tallulah Bankhead, 1903

Eddie Cantor, 1892

Zane Grey, 1872

Franz Schubert, 1797

Robert Morris, 1734

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan, 1543



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"These Are My Children"(TV), 1949 (first daytime TV Soap Opera)

"The Green Hornet"(Radio), 1936

"The Lone Ranger"(Radio), 1933

"Three Sisters"(Chekhov Play), 1901

"Hedda Gabler"(Ibsen Play), 1891



Today in History:


Guy Fawkes is executed for his plotting against Parliament and James I of England, 1606

The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital, 1747

The Corn Laws (tariffs on imported grains) are abolished in Britain, paving the way for more free trade, 1849

The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations, 1876

The Bulletin of Sydney is founded, publishes for 128 years, 1880

An automobile exceeds 100 mph (161 kph) for the first time, at Daytona Beach, driven by A. G. MacDonald, 1905

The Soviet Union exiles Leon Trotsky, 1929

Scotch tape is first marketed by the 3M Company, 1930

Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont, US receives the first US Social Security monthly payment check, for $22.54, 1940

President Harry S. Truman announces a program to develop the hydrogen bomb, 1950

A North Sea flood causes over 1,800 deaths in the Netherlands, 1953

Explorer 1 – The first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit, 1958

James Van Allen discovers the Van Allen radiation belt, 1958

Mercury-Redstone 2 – Ham the Chimp travels into outer space, 1961

The Soviet Union launches the unmanned Luna 9 spacecraft as part of the Luna program, 1966

Astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell, aboard a Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon, 1971

The first McDonald's in the Soviet Union opens in Moscow, 1990

Comet Hyakutake is discovered by Japanese amateur astronomer Yuji Hyakutake, 1996

NASA reveals the Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR), a lunar mining robot which could be used to produce fuel and water directly on the Moon, 2013

Sergio Matarella is elected President of Italy, 2015

"World's best chef" French-Swiss Benoît Violier is found dead after apparent suicide weeks after being named world's best by La Liste, 2016

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is crowned King of Malaysia (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) to serve a five-year term, 2019

The United Kingdom formally withdraws from the European Union, 2020

Monday, January 30, 2023

Puppy Party! (Awww Monday), Inspiring Quote of the Week, and Poetry Monday

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee at Comedy Plus.


Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.


Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!


Walking Mr. Cal can be an adventure if we meet up with some of his doggy pals from the neighborhood, out walking when we are.  There was a "party in the street" as these 4 met up and had a bit of fun.















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Sparks is the brainchild of Annie of McGuffy's Reader, who wanted us to post something positive and uplifting at the start of the week.  While she no longer blogs, i like to post an Inspiring Quote of the Week in her honor.     





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Poetry Monday was started by Diane at On The Alberta/Montana Border Jenny at Procrastinating Donkey is on a blog semi-break and her poetry is sorely missed, we hope she comes back soon.   Charlotte/Mother Owl participates, and now Karen at Baking in a Tornado is jumping in at least once a month, too.  Anyone else is welcome to join in the fun, just let Diane know!


This week the theme is Time.          

               


No matter how you slice and dice,

you never get the same time twice!


*******


#2 Son and fiancée,

when walking their dog, Jock,

would stay out quite a while,

and she'd want to take stock.


She'd want to know the time

but not have to pull a phone out,

and #2 Son had a watch,

quite rare now, without doubt.


She'd ask him what the time was,

he's answer without remorse,

"Time for you to get a watch!"

then grinningly he'd tell her, of course.


These youngsters do love phones,

and like to keep up with the new,

with a family plan it's complex,

here's what we have to do.


The child in question and i meet

over at the phone store,

since they pay and we get a visit,

it never is a chore.


#2 Son has a job which

pays him very well,

he wanted the latest and greatest

and was excited, i could tell.


The gentleman who waited

upon us for that day,

was good at his "upsell"

and took the time to say,


"If you're looking for a bargain,

and I see a watch on you,

for only a tiny bit extra,

you can get the Apple Watch, too!"


I saw Son's eyes light with pleasure,

for what child of the tech generations

doesn't want all the gizmos and bling

and can resist such fun temptations?


He got the best new phone

which payment he could afford,

he also got the watch,

and because there's no need to hoard,


He promptly handed his old watch

to his sweetheart who next to him sat.

She put it on with alacrity

and grinned like a Cheshire Cat!


Then with eyes of mischief,

he said to her with glee,

"What time is it?" and she grinned,

"Time for you to get a watch like me!"


(Yes, true story.)



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Today is:


Auckland Province Anniversary -- Auckland, New Zealand


Cash Register Day -- James Ritty and John Birch were granted a patent on this day in 1883 for an early mechanical cash register


Congressional Brawl Day -- marking the first ever all out brawl in the US Congress in 1798


Draw A Dinosaur Day -- and post it to the website   


Feast of King Charles the Martyr -- Anglican


Fred Korematsu Day -- US (honoring the civil rights activist who protested the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII) 


Inane Answering Message Day -- the day to change those annoying messages, sponsored by Wellcat Holidays


King's Birthday -- Jordan


Martyrs' Day -- India (assassination anniversary of Gandhi)


National Croissant Day


Nelson Provincial Anniversary Day -- Nelson, New Zealand


Pax -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Festival of Peace)


Puce and Ochre Day -- Fairy Calendar


School Day of Nonviolence and Peace -- sponsored by DENIP


St. Aldegund's Day (Patron of cancer patients; against cancer, childhood diseases, sudden death, wounds)


St. Bathilde's Day (Patron of children, sick people, widows; against bodily ills and sickness)


St. Martina of Rome's Day (Patron of nursing mothers; Rome, Italy)


Three Archbishops' Day -- Eastern Orthodox (a/k/a Holy Hierarchs' Day)


Yodel For Your Neighbors Day -- Why?  Do you hate your neighbors?



Birthdays Today:


Johnathan Lee Iverson, 1976

Christian Bale, 1974

Brett Butler, 1958

Phil Collins, 1951

Charles Dutton, 1951

Steve Marriott, 1947

Marty Balin, 1942

Dick Cheney, 1941

Vanessa Redgrave, 1937

Boris spassky, 1937

Tammy Grimes, 1934

Louis Ruckeyser, 1933

Gene Hackman, 1930

Dorothy Malone, 1925

Dick Martin, 1922

Barbara W. Tuchman, 1912

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1882

Isaiah Thomas, 1749

Thomas Rolfe, 1615 (Only child of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.)



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"The Yogi Bear Show"(TV), 1958

"Robert Montgomery Presents"(TV), 1950

"City Lights"(Chaplin Movie), 1931



Today in History:


The Jews of Freilburg, Germany, are massacred, 1349

King Charles I of England is beheaded, 1649

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, is ritually executed after having been dead for two years, 1661

The Forty-seven Ronin, under the command of Oishi Kuranosuke, avenge the death of their master, 1703

Henry Greathead tests the first boat intended to be specialized as a lifeboat for rescue purposes, which he invented, on the River Tyne in England, 1790

The burned Library of Congress is reestablished, with Thomas Jefferson contributing, 1815

Edward Bransfield sights the Trinity Peninsula and claims the discovery of Antarctica, 1820

The Menai Suspension Bridge, considered the world's first modern suspension bridge, connecting the Isle of Anglesey to the north West coast of Wales is opened, 1826

A fire destroys two-thirds of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, 1841

The city of Yerba Buena is renamed San Francisco, for the nearby mission of the same name, 1847

William Wells Brown publishes the first Black drama, "Leap to Freedom," 1858

The US Navy's first ironclad warship, the Monitor, is launched, 1862

The pneumatic hammer is patented by Charles King of Detroit, 1894

The Canadian Naval Service becomes the Royal Canadian Navy, 1911

The House of Lords rejects the Irish Home Rule Bill, 1913

"The Lone Ranger" begins a 21 year run on ABC radio, 1933

Indian pacifist and leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is assassinated by Pandit Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist, 1948

American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.'s home is bombed in retaliation for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1956

The Beatles' last public performance, on the roof of Apple Records in London. The impromptu concert is broken up by the police, 1969

Carole King's Tapestry album is released, it would become the longest charting album by a female solo artist and sell 24 million copies worldwide, 1971

Pakistan withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations, 1972

The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was established as the first United States National Marine Sanctuary, 1975

Richard Skrenta writes the first PC virus code, which is 400 lines long and disguised as an Apple boot program called "Elk Cloner", 1982

Peter Leko of Hungary becomes the world's youngest chess grand master at age 14, 1994

Workers from the National Institutes of Health announce the success of clinical trials testing the first preventive treatment for sickle-cell disease, 1995

Over half a million people participate in the world's largest wildlife survey after extreme cold drives exotic birds into Britain's back gardens, 2011

Peter Paul Rubens’s 1608 drawing, "Nude Study of Young Man with Raised Arms," sells for $8.2 million at auction in New York, 2019

The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at a meeting in Geneva, 2020