Fog ~ Throw Back Thursday ~ Picture of the Day ~ Nathan Hale ~ Creamy Veggie Casserole ~ National Johnny Appleseed Day

Good 48º clear sky morning.

Yesterday the fog was dark and heavy. By 9:30 it finally started saying goodbye. The rest of the day was sunny blue sky and we topped at 89º.

Happy Throw Back Thursday..... three sisters... L-R Betty, Marion, me. In the background is the playhouse my dad made.

Picture of the Day....

Interesting....

Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British and executed. Hale has long been considered an American hero and in 1985, he was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut.

In 1776 he was executed by the British for spying. Disguised as a Dutch schoolmaster, Hale slipped behind British lines and successfully gathered information. Hale was captured while sailing Long Island Sound, trying to cross back into American-controlled territory. When it was discovered that he was carrying incriminating documents, British General William Howe ordered his execution for spying. After being led to the gallows, legend holds that the 21-year-old Hale said, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”

Creamy Veggie Casserole (with bacon, of course!)

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 (8-ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 (10-3/4-ounce) cans condensed cheese soup
• 8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
    
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain, return to pot, and set aside.
    
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter; sauté onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms 6 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Add  vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients to spaghetti; mix well.
    
4. Place mixture in prepared casserole dish, cover, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Historically this date.......

1580 – Sir Francis Drake finishes his circumnavigation of the Earth.

1687 – The Parthenon in Athens is partially destroyed by an explosion caused by the bombing from Venetian forces led by Morosini who are besieging the Ottoman Turks stationed in Athens.

When I was there in 2008...

1872 – The first Shriners Temple (called Mecca) is established in New York City.

I have my Daddy's Al Malaikah fez..... (yes, that is my Daddy in the picture on the right and Mom in the other one!)

1933 – As gangster Machine Gun Kelly surrenders to the FBI, he shouts out, "Don’t shoot,G-Men!", which becomes a nickname for FBI agents.

1960 – In Chicago, the first televised debate takes place between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

1970 – The Laguna Fire starts in San Diego County, California, burning 175,425 acres

1981 – Baseball: Nolan Ryan sets a Major League record by throwing his fifth no-hitter.

1997 – An earthquake strikes the Italian regions of Umbria and the Marche, causing part of the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi to collapse.

2009 – Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos andThailand, causing 700 fatalities.

And births this date include...

1895 –George Raft, American actor (d. 1980)

1914 – Jack LaLanne, American fitness and nutritional expert (d. 2011)

1926 – Julie London, American singer and actress (d. 2000)

...sexy lady. sexy name.... born 'Gayle Peck'!

1933 – Donna Douglas, American actress (d.2015)

                                     

1942 – Kent McCord, American actor

......McCord, Oct 2010, retired as a Reserve Police Officer from the Los Angeles School Police Department.

http://www.kentmccord.com/

1956 – Linda Hamilton, American actress

All I know. Nuff said. Happy TBT. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On National Johnny Appleseed Day, we honor the man who made apple (and pear) trees grow heavy with the bounty of their fruit across most of this country.  On September 26, we commemorate the day of his birth and celebrate his legendary wit, wisdom, and enduring story.  

Early Life

In Fort Wayne, Indiana in Johnny Appleseed Park a grave marks the spot where the legendary sower of apple seeds rests. He was born John Chapman on September 26, 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts to Nathaniel and Elizabeth Simons Chapman. Nobody knows much about his early life other than his mother died when he was two. His father packed up Johnny and his sister (an infant brother had died the previous year) and moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. His father served as a Minuteman and fought at Bunker Hill.

From Chapman to Appleseed

Then in 1797, Chapman shows up in northwestern Pennsylvania propagating his apple seeds and working his way steadily into the frontier of West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana. Eventually, he travels as far west as Illinois and Iowa and as far north as Michigan and Wisconsin.

In his wake, Appleseed left orchards and the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg was a Swedish spiritual leader whose books Appleseed would buy with whatever payment he might receive for his endeavors. In turn, the traveling nurseryman would give the books away as he traveled and planted.

Mostly, though, he planted his seeds and seedlings for free along with his wisdom. His broad-brimmed pasteboard hat kept the sun from his eyes wherever he went. Often shoeless, he traveled mostly by foot and sometimes by horseback or canoe. His appearance was nearly as noteworthy as his accomplishments, but so was his kindness. If Johnny Appleseed came calling, people made a place at the table. 

Many stories tell how the man would travel many miles to nurse an ailing orchard when word would reach him of its poor condition. While bringing the trees back to health (his chief endeavor) the orchard man dispersed his wisdom, care, and kindness.

Landmarks

Across the Midwest, landmarks pepper the countryside honoring the man who brought fruit to the frontier. Warren County, Pennsylvania lays claim to Johnny Appleseed’s first tree nursery. Mansfield, Ohio honors the man with a monument in South Park.

In his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts there is an entire park named after the man who nurtured the land and made apple trees bloom across a young nation.

Johnny Appleseed Day is celebrated on either March 11th or September 26th. While the September date is Appleseed’s acknowledged birth date, the March observance is sometimes preferred due to the planting season. Even though there is some vagueness concerning Appleseed’s death and burial, it is known he became ill in early March and passed soon after.