Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Colorado Rockies Baseball ~ Creamy Corn for a Crowd ~ Saint Nicholas Day ~ National Microwave Oven Day

 

 

Good 39º dark raining morning. 

 

Yesterday we never got any sunshine and we topped at 42º.

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting about the Colorado Rockies

 

The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Field, which is located in the Lower Downtown area of Denver. It is owned by the Monfort brothers and managed by Bud Black.

 

The Rockies began play as an expansion team for the 1993 season, and played their home games for their first two seasons at Mile High Stadium.

 

Since 1995, they have played at Coors Field, which has earned a reputation as a hitter's park. The Rockies have qualified for the postseason five times, each time as a Wild Card winner. In 2007, the team earned its first (and only) NL pennant after winning 14 of their final 15 games in the regular season to secure a Wild Card position, capping the streak off with a 13 inning 9-8 victory against the San Diego Padres in the tiebreaker game affectionately known as "Game 163" by Rockies fans. The Rockies then proceeded to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS and NLCS respectively and entered the 2007 World Series as winners of 21 of their last 22 games. However, they were swept by the American League (AL) champions Boston Red Sox in four games.

 

From 1993 to 2021, the Rockies have an overall record of 2,133–2,401 (.470 winning percentage).

 

Denver had long been a hotbed of Denver Bears / Zephyrs minor league baseball as far back as the late 19th century with the original Denver Bears (or Grizzlies) competing in the Western League before being replaced in 1955 by a AAA team of the same name. Residents and businesses in the area desired a Major League team. Denver's Mile High Stadium was built originally as Denver Bears Stadium, a minor league baseball stadium that could be upgraded to major league standards. Several previous attempts to bring Major League Baseball to Colorado had failed. In 1958, New York lawyer William Shea proposed the new Continental League as a rival to the two existing major leagues. In 1960, the Continental League announced that play would begin in April 1961 with eight teams, including one in Denver headed by Bob Howsam. However, the new league quickly evaporated, without ever playing a game, when the National League reached expansion agreements to put teams in New York City and Houston, removing much of the impetus behind the Continental League effort. Following the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, an unsuccessful attempt was made to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates and relocate them. However, in January 1990, Colorado's chances for a new team improved significantly when Coors Brewing Company became a limited partner with the AAA Denver Zephyrs.

 

In 1991, as part of Major League Baseball's two-team expansion (along with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins), an ownership group representing Denver led by John Antonucci and Michael I. Monus was granted a franchise. They took the name "Rockies" due to Denver's proximity to the Rocky Mountains, which is reflected in their logo; the name was previously used by the city's first NHL team (who are now known as the New Jersey Devils). Monus and Antonucci were forced to drop out in 1992 after Monus's reputation was ruined by an accounting scandal. Trucking magnate Jerry McMorris stepped in at the 11th hour to save the franchise, allowing the team to begin play in 1993. The Rockies shared Mile High Stadium with the National Football League (NFL)'s Denver Broncos for their first two seasons while Coors Field was constructed. It was completed for the 1995 Major League Baseball season.

 

In 1993, they started play in the West division of the National League. That year the Rockies set the all-time Major League record for attendance, drawing an incredible 4,483,350 fans (a record that stands to this day). The Rockies were MLB's first team based in the Mountain Time Zone. They have reached the Major League Baseball postseason five times, each time as the National League wild card team. Twice (1995 and 2009) they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In 2007, the Rockies advanced to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox. The team's stretch run was among the greatest ever for a Major League Baseball team. Having a record of 76-72 at the start of play on September 16, the Rockies proceeded to win 14 of their final 15 regular season games. The stretch culminated with a 9-8, 13-inning victory over the San Diego Padres in a one-game playoff for the wild card berth. Colorado then swept their first seven playoff games to win the NL pennant (thus, at the start of the World Series, the Rockies had won a total of 21 out of 22 games). Fans and media nicknamed their improbable run in October, Rocktober.

 

Colorado made postseason berths in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, the Rockies became the first team since the 1922 Philadelphia Phillies to play in four cities against four teams in five days, including the 162nd game of the regular season, NL West tie-breaker, NL Wild Card Game and NLDS Game 1, eventually losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

 

The Rockies' home uniform is white with purple pinstripes, and the Rockies are the first team in Major League history to wear purple pinstripes. The front of the uniform is emblazoned with the team name in silver trimmed in black, and letters and numerals are in black trimmed in silver. During the Rockies' inaugural season, they went without names on the back of their home uniforms, but added them for the following season. In 2000, numerals were added to the chest.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

 

This Creamy Corn for a Crowd is a breeze to make and is definitely included among our favorite slow cooker potluck recipes! Don't be surprised that the cream cheese still retains its block shape after 4 hours of cooking...it's very soft and blends easily when stirred.

•  
•  
• 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen whole kernel corn
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter

 

 

1. Place corn in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle corn with salt and sugar; drizzle with water. Place cream cheese and butter on top of corn mixture (do not stir).
    
2. Cover and cook on LOW setting 4 hours. Stir well before serving.
    

****Garnish with bacon bits for an extra-special taste.

 

 

 

Historically this date.....

1768 – The first edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica is published.

1790 – The U.S. Congress moves from New York City to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1865 – The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, banning slavery.

 

1877 – The first edition of the Washington Post is published.

 

1877 – Thomas Edison, using his new phonograph, makes one of the earliest recordings of a human voice, reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

 

1884 – The Washington Monument in Washington D.C. is completed.

 

1897 – London becomes the world's first city to host licensed taxicabs.

 

 

And births this date include....

1900 – Agnes Moorehead, American actress (d. 1974)

 

1920 – Dave Brubeck, American pianist and composer (d. 2012)

 

 

 

 

1924 – Wally Cox, American actor (d. 1973)

 

 

 

1928 – Bobby Van, American singer (d. 1980)

 

 

 

1948 – JoBeth Williams, American actress

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Monday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On December 6th, Saint Nicholas Day recognizes the third-century saint who became an inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas is known for selling all his possessions and giving his money to the poor. Raised as a devout Christian, St. Nicholas dedicated his whole life to serving the sick and suffering.

Legendary stories about St. Nicholas later become part of the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus. For example, during the third century, a daughter’s chances of marriage increased when her father offered a large dowry to prospective husbands. One story tells of a poor father with three daughters. He had no dowry to offer.

Traditionally, shoes were left by fires at night so they could dry. On three separate occasions, Ol’ St. Nicholas provided a dowry for each girl. It is said, he made gold appear in their shoes, drying by the fire.

While St. Nicholas Day is not to be confused with Christmas, there are similarities. Traditions include leaving gifts in shoes (or stockings) or the exchange of small gifts. Another tradition suggests leaving treats for good boys and girls. However, the naughty ones receive a twig or chunk of coal.

Interesting facts associated with St. Nicholas:

• He is the patron saint of a great many causes. Some of the causes include sailors, travelers, clergy, school children, and thieves, to name a few.
• He was born in the village of Patar, which was located on the southeastern coast of modern-day Turkey.
• Buried in a tomb in Myra, water believed to have healing powers formed in his grave. It is called the Manna of Saint Nicholas.
• December 6th is also known as The Feast of St. Nicholas and is widely celebrated in Europe.

ST. NICHOLAS DAY HISTORY

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated worldwide on the anniversary of his death, December 6th. 

Today is also............

 

On December 6th, National Microwave Oven Day honors one appliance that changed the way we use the kitchen. 

Quite by accident, self-taught American engineer Percy Spencer discovered a way to heat food safely with microwaves. While working with an active radar in 1945, he noticed a candy bar in his pocket was melting. The high-powered microwave beams created a heating effect ideal for cooking. Spencer deliberately attempted cooking popcorn with the microwaves. Next, he tried cooking an egg. The egg test was less successful than the popcorn. It exploded in his fellow engineer’s face! However, we can cook eggs in microwave ovens. Try poaching one. 

Spencer, employed by Raytheon, continued experimenting with different methods of heating food safely with microwaves.

• Raytheon filed a United States patent application for Spencer’s microwave cooking process on October 8, 1945.
• In 1947, Raytheon built the first commercially available microwave oven. It was called the “Radarange.”
• An estimated 90% of homes in the United States have a microwave in them.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

The microwave oven is more than an elaborate popcorn popper. Use this celebration to explore the many uses of the microwave oven. We’ve provided a few suggestions to get you started, but we also encourage you to share your favorites, too!

• make crispy bacon (and you won’t get burned either)
• melt chocolate for all that holiday dipping
• heat rice or bean-filled hot pads for achy muscles
• steam vegetables
• soften brown sugar
• dry herbs
• loosen labels from jars

While testing these ideas out, take some time to clean your microwave, too. Steam a wet cloth for a minute on high and let stand for another minute. The steam softens any build-up. Then, wipe your microwave down with a little hot soapy water to remove any greasy splatter.