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Thursday, April 18, 2024

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Alabama History ~ Meatball Mac and Cheese ~ National Lineman Appreciation Day

  


Good 31º frozen morning. 
 
 
Yesterday we were clear and sunny.....


We started at 30º and topped at 76º.
 
 
Picture of the Day...car driven upside down! 😲
 

 
Interesting about Alabama
 

 

 

Alabama (/ˌæləˈbæmə/ AL-ə-BAM-ə) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th largest by area and the 24th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states.

 

Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie" and the "Cotton State". The state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia. Alabama's capital is Montgomery, and its largest city by population and area is Huntsville. Its oldest city is Mobile, founded by French colonists (Alabama Creoles) in 1702 as the capital of French Louisiana. Greater Birmingham is Alabama's largest metropolitan area and its economic center.

 

Originally home to many native tribes, present-day Alabama was a Spanish territory beginning in the sixteenth century until the French acquired it in the early eighteenth century. The British won the territory in 1763 until losing it in the American Revolutionary War. Spain held Mobile as part of Spanish West Florida until 1813. In December 1819, Alabama was recognized as a state. During the antebellum period, Alabama was a major producer of cotton, and widely used African American slave labor. In 1861, the state seceded from the United States to become part of the Confederate States of America, with Montgomery acting as its first capital, and rejoined the Union in 1868. Following the American Civil War, Alabama would suffer decades of economic hardship, in part due to agriculture and a few cash crops being the main driver of the state's economy. Similar to other former slave states, Alabamian legislators employed Jim Crow laws from the late 19th century up until the 1960s. High-profile events such as the Selma to Montgomery march made the state a major focal point of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

During and after World War II, Alabama grew as the state's economy diversified with new industries. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville would help Alabama's economic growth in the mid-to-late 20th century, by developing an aerospace industry. Alabama's economy in the 21st century is based on automotive, finance, tourism, manufacturing, aerospace, mineral extraction, healthcare, education, retail, and technology.

 

The state has diverse geography, with the north dominated by the mountainous Tennessee Valley and the south by Mobile Bay, a historically significant port. Politically, as part of the Deep South, Alabama is predominantly a conservative state, and is known for its Southern culture. Within Alabama, American football, particularly at the college level, plays a major part of the state's culture.

 

Etymology

The European-American naming of the Alabama River and state was derived from the Alabama people, a Muskogean-speaking tribe whose members lived just below the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers on the upper reaches of the river.[17] In the Alabama language, the word for a person of Alabama lineage is Albaamo (or variously Albaama or Albàamo in different dialects; the plural form is Albaamaha). The word's spelling varies significantly among historical sources. The first usage appears in three accounts of the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540: Garcilaso de la Vega used Alibamo, while the Knight of Elvas and Rodrigo Ranjel wrote Alibamu and Limamu, respectively, in transliterations of the term. As early as 1702, the French called the tribe the Alibamon, with French maps identifying the river as Rivière des Alibamons. Other spellings of the name have included AlibamuAlabamoAlbamaAlebamonAlibamaAlibamouAlabamu, and Allibamou. The use of state names derived from Native American languages is common in the U.S.; an estimated 26 states have names of Native American origin.

 

Sources disagree on the word's meaning. Some scholars suggest the word comes from the Choctaw alba (meaning 'plants' or 'weeds') and amo (meaning 'to cut', 'to trim', or 'to gather'). The meaning may have been 'clearers of the thicket' or 'herb gatherers', referring to clearing land for cultivation or collecting medicinal plants. The state has numerous place names of Native American origin.

 

Alabama is the thirtieth-largest state in the United States with 52,419 square miles of total area: 3.2% of the area is water, making Alabama 23rd in the amount of surface water, also giving it the second-largest inland waterway system in the United States. About three-fifths of the land area is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain, a gentle plain with a general descent towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The North Alabama region is mostly mountainous, with the Tennessee River cutting a large valley and creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes.

 

Alabama is bordered by the states of Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama has coastline at the Gulf of Mexico, in the extreme southern edge of the state. The state ranges in elevation from sea level at Mobile Bay to more than 2,000 feet in the northeast, to Mount Cheaha at 2,413 ft.

 

Alabama's land consists of 22 million acres of forest or 67% of the state's total land area. Suburban Baldwin County, along the Gulf Coast, is the largest county in the state in both land area and water area.

 




^

Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near the planned crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North Alabama railroads, including land formerly a part of the Benjamin P. Worthington plantation. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre & Allen. The site of the railroad crossing was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – the three main raw materials used in making steel.

 

 If you want to read a whole lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama

 
 
From Mr. Food
 

SERVES
4
COOK TIME
20 Min

Add a little beefiness to your macaroni and cheese with our recipe for Meatball Mac & Cheese. This easy, cheesy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe gets easily "beefed up" thanks to a convenient ingredient we found in the freezer aisle!

 

  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup (about 1/2 pound) diced Cheddar cheese or cubed processed cheese spread (like Velveeta)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup frozen cocktail meatballs, thawed and cut in half

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large pot of boiling water, cook macaroni until just tender, drain and place in a large bowl.
     
  2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk and cheese together over medium heat until cheese melts; stir in mustard and salt.
     
  3. Add meatballs and cheese mixture to macaroni, mix well. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through. Serve.
 
 
 
Historically this date
1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in MesillaNew Mexico.

 
1906 – An earthquake and fire destroy much of San FranciscoCalifornia.

1923 – Yankee Stadium, "The House that Ruth Built", opens.

1997 – The Red River flood begins and soon overwhelms the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Fire breaks out and spreads in downtown Grand Forks, but high water levels hamper efforts to reach the fire, leading to the destruction of 11 buildings.
 
 
And births this date include....
1922 – Barbara Hale, American actress (d.2017)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyINuXQVtEZHzQcA3xtiEZhyts1_lRnd0qlIccqMPlQo-HNaT9032MWOU_OP31ndge4rydNO5pjxeD73wwoVAevaJy2yb9sj8EkLERwWS-1uBVUJjnOjduAasURLJ3e8f3J4DcYI4WvEc/s1600/haleMA28983701-0006.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNFMDlHQFvbUdHOoiSn2YfslSMgToNVMEFtOjHcWwpiU2Yy-rdlphbSgiK5TrMXm8jJrOH_WzdwVmYANUuuseebyWqUsM5amYpoS99Q7rpA0qYB5yc4Q0GjOtvW1XJ-9h1Yg4uww3itk/s1600/hale2MA28983701-0007.jpg 
 

1946 – Hayley Mills, English actress
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_iSNzd3O1ns7jwsLjQFtmMIrSNCAMhC6c2Y_V3aGB0Ym9fEksj9wM_aRIKzGEvGyyHwKQDI2LMzYpS5GaxEXm7YYuonC3ngQhUqO5Rf8Pb4x2nnq4X9HeHwaUD8eBqt30qdQqXpVb1o/s1600/millsMA28983701-0008.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWl-A-DCDQjsVSofcxlpmH6N-Z_g1lZlZ1KCphIdt8loflPFkvKrPaZfHmQqwPLw77atEWsnNSwCs2TBJa0K27R7mHTs-fnzTMo2BNxBQjnnoPdDn4esVnmG7GHfebStX3HsJSy5jrdU/s1600/mills2MA28983701-0009.jpg
 

1947 – James Woods, American actor
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGyrk_G2thwqDWLgfIRVpqOTlgKl3UwG0BZd9qMLUsQjBl4-6AbBjfNAz1HdOH1rtKx2TN0mo1x3uXDCvMW7-PkJPqFjE7Xhw7F34HBz3hM-iYNsOEkxyyIec2DK7KupsTZFcLOiYJIw/s1600/woodsMA28983701-0010.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez76nYoB3sQbEJB-r76R_Ajx5Vy4xxZ0jPD69b6TPWk8LZtHemMFczFCsEqCj4I19tm-5nD0dulRxqul3CQUKyIpXBrtF8BipfioThZk7iWLagEuHRr7_7gfDTcYUdEOoUxGkKFvOv00/s1600/woods2MA28983701-0011.jpg


1956 – Eric Roberts, American actor
.... brother to Julia and with a common doper arrest record!
Possession, resisting, wife beater! Nice. 
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn7qQieb8EWz0ZHFJOXJlgb2CM5eACCh981sIvXjl1ONLrPrkgOr4CBplTYvkWzGNNoHmb9yLT53u8zZcGxZz47YlsT5pOGnZdwK1M4OWWkzXt6MLLA_DOIQT9bXufzg7SbRNqJSilPQ/s1600/eric_roberts_mugshotMA28983701-0013.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE7OAC2X29lI_KvmhteN8czKSS1pWQVRvhyphenhyphenRkqLHh6BAr5UIC5HGdQRjLJer_dS0fyGibkvFqd8lI2WU-R4aiOzHgnXKML4l4ft1WFCUo56kQtyZHkxXElmqjlUjfxT1aY1s-bU8SKLM/s1600/ericMA28983701-0012.jpg


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ15gD0IgrE6KYvmCU1OXCkhul4De5d4UorQG_Iu-VqWTtOCObcK2LGv-8zjCOA6VmrEZXNFKV3EpDBo_E7EaWBbSkfSwM6XeUbVchakOlXkNTg_8F4kJcb7_8LAirt2DeAeHnAYpDtxM/s1600/eric2MA28983701-0014.jpg
 


 
 
 
 
 
 

1961 – Jane Leeves, British actress
 
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnfoxJI4K_CNV8g6m7yIAYnToUBD6EqSlevUzqQRy9cAsvqeCQJB9iFXuTA3jlfJ5NDjcBmilNRkk10vZCiA-3GWXjb_zg1sL1oQHWdEYczMyy2j4BFRMlmo0-jrNjdyfJW1NhwSvn5k/s1600/janeMA28983701-0015.jpg
 
 
 
 
 
 
All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Thursday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18th honors the men and women who work around the clock to keep the power going.  If the power is on where you are reading this article, you likely have a lineman to thank.
From the power plant, the grid crisscrossing the country both above and underground and right up to the meters on our homes, these men and women build and maintain the system that keeps our nation running.
Regardless of the source, the electricity has to be transported by employing transformers and other equipment. Due to the dangerous conditions power poses, safety is of utmost importance for both the lineman and the consumer.
When mother nature destroys what our linemen have built up, they are on call to build it back up again as quickly as possible. These men and women work tirelessly to get emergency systems back in working order and urgently return service to remaining areas.
Even when there is no crisis, they work under dangerous conditions on a daily basis. Whether they are working in trenches, near water or on high towers, the risks are extreme.

 

NATIONAL LINEMAN APPRECIATION DAY HISTORY

On April 10, 2013, U.S. Senate Resolution 95 recognized linemen across the country by setting April 18th as National Lineman Appreciation Day.

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