Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Christmas Tree Lights ~ Loaf Pan Mac 'n' Cheese ~ Computer Security Day

  

Good 36º dark cloudy morning. Predicted a 90% chance of rain. 

 

Yesterday we started really dark and cloudy. Then the dark clouds left and the sunshine came........

We went from 29º to 49º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...timing!

 

 

Interesting about Christmas tree lights............

 

 

Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom goes back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles, which symbolized Christ being the light of the world. The Christmas trees were brought by Christians into their homes in early modern Germany.

 

Christmas trees displayed publicly and illuminated with electric lights became popular in the early 20th century. By the mid-20th century, it became customary to display strings of electric lights along streets and on buildings; Christmas decorations detached from the Christmas tree itself. In the United States, it became popular to outline private homes with such Christmas lights in tract housing beginning in the 1960s. By the late 20th century, the custom had also been adopted in other nations, including outside the Western world, notably in Japan and Hong Kong. It has since spread throughout Christendom.

 

In many countries, Christmas lights, as well as other Christmas decorations, are traditionally erected on or around the first day of Advent. In the Western Christian world, the two traditional days when Christmas lights are removed are Twelfth Night and Candlemas, the latter of which ends the Christmas-Epiphany season in some denominations Leaving the decorations up beyond Candlemas is historically considered to be inauspicious.

 

The Christmas tree was adopted in upper-class homes in 18th-century Germany, where it was occasionally decorated with candles, which at the time was a comparatively expensive light source. Candles for the tree were glued with melted wax to a tree branch or attached by pins. Around 1890, candleholders were first used for Christmas candles. Between 1902 and 1914, small lanterns and glass balls to hold the candles started to be used. Early electric Christmas lights were introduced with electrification, beginning in the 1880s.

 

The illuminated Christmas tree became established in the UK during Queen Victoria's reign, and through emigration spread to North America and Australia. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the 13-year-old princess wrote, "After dinner.. we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room. There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees". Until the availability of inexpensive electrical power in the early 20th century, miniature candles were commonly (and in some cultures still are) used.

 

The first known electrically illuminated Christmas tree was the creation of Edward H. Johnson, an associate of inventor Thomas Edison. While he was vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, a predecessor of today's Con Edison electric utility, he had Christmas tree light bulbs especially made for him. He proudly displayed his Christmas tree, which was hand-wired with 80 red, white and blue electric incandescent light bulbs the size of walnuts, on December 22, 1882 at his home on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Local newspapers ignored the story, seeing it as a publicity stunt. However, it was published by a Detroit newspaper reporter, and Johnson has become widely regarded as the Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights. By 1900, businesses started stringing up Christmas lights behind their windows.^[10] Christmas lights were too expensive for the average person; as such, electric Christmas lights did not become the majority replacement for candles until 1930.

 

In 1895, US President Grover Cleveland sponsored the first electrically-lit Christmas tree in the White House. It was a huge specimen, featuring over a hundred multicolored lights. The first commercially-produced Christmas tree lamps were manufactured in strings of multiples of eight sockets by the General Electric Co. of Harrison, New Jersey. Each socket took a miniature two-candela carbon-filament lamp.

 

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

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Our Loaf Pan Mac 'n' Cheese is a unique way to serve macaroni and cheese to your family. Since it's baked in a loaf pan, all you have to do is slice and serve. Everyone in the family is going to love this ooey-gooey-cheesy dinner that's loaded with hot dog pieces. In fact, don't be surprised if they start cheering, "Hot diggity dog!"

 

• 2 (6-ounce) packages macaroni and cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 hot dogs, cut into 1/2-inch slices (see Note)

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and return to pot. Add butter, the cheese packets, and mustard; mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in eggs and 1-1/2 cups cheese; mix well. Stir in hot dog slices. Spoon mixture into loaf pan.
3. Bake 35 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Continue baking 15 minutes, or until golden. Let sit 10 minutes, then slice and serve immediately.

 

***If using jumbo hot dogs, you'll only need 3.

 

 

Historically this date........

1902 – American Old West: Second-in-command of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang, Kid Curry Logan, is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor.

 

1940 – Lucille Ball marries Desi Arnaz in Greenwich, Connecticut.

 

1954 – In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges Meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap in the only documented case of a 
human being hit by a rock from space

 

1982 – Michael Jackson's second solo album, Thriller, with producer Quincy Jones was released worldwide and became the biggest-selling album worldwide and still is to this day.

 

2004 – Longtime Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City, Utah finally loses, leaving him with US$2,520,700, television's biggest game show winnings.

 

 

And births this date include...

 

1835 – Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), American writer (d. 1910)

 

1874 – Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel laureate (d. 1965)

 

1918 – Efrem Zimbalist Jr., American actor (d.2014)

 

 

 

1926 – Richard Crenna, American actor (d. 2003)

 

1927 – Robert Guillaume, American actor (d.2017)

 

 

 

1929 – Dick Clark, American television host (d. 2012)

 

1952 – Mandy Patinkin, American actor and singer

 

1965 – Ben Stiller, American actor

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Computer Security Day is observed annually on November 30.

Identity theft, fake frauds, ransomware viruses and more can make our online experiences challenging.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Below is a checklist you can follow to help secure your computer. Help spread the word on social media using #ComputerSecurityDay to inform others how they can secure their data!

• Windows Update is enabled.
• Antivirus software is installed and running.
• Windows Firewall is turned on.
• The software on my computer is up to date.
• Strong passwords are always used.
• Passwords are not shared or written down.
• A password is required to access my computer.
• Unused programs are removed.
• My home wireless network is secured.
• My important data is regularly backed up.
• I use caution when I browse the Internet.
• I log off the computer when I’m not using it.
• My web browser does not store or remember my passwords.
• Temporary Internet files are periodically removed.

HISTORY

The first Computer Security Day was in 1988 started by the Association for Computer Security to raise awareness concerning computer security issues.

Weather/Rainbow ~ Picture of the Day ~ Independence Hall ~ Crustless Lemon Cream Pie ~ National Lemon Cream Pie Day

  

Good 30º frozen cloudy morning.

 

Yesterday we had rain......

During the rain we also got hail! 

 We topped at 48º.

 

Son Brian took this picture outside of his office.....

 

 

Picture of the Day....crazy business name!

 

 

Interesting about Independence Hall....

 

Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers. The structure forms the centerpiece of the Independence National Historical Park and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House and served as the capitol for the Province and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until the state capital moved to Lancaster in 1799. It was the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1781 and was the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787.

 

A convention held in Independence Hall in 1915, presided over by former U.S. president William Howard Taft, marked the formal announcement of the formation of the League to Enforce Peace, which led to the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations, a quarter century later.

 

The lowest chamber of the original wooden steeple was the first home of the Liberty Bell. When that steeple was removed in the 1780s the bell was lowered into the highest chamber of the brick tower, where it remained until the 1850s. The much larger Centennial Bell, created for the United States Centennial Exposition in 1876, hangs in the cupola of the 1828 steeple. The Liberty Bell, with its distinctive crack, was displayed on the ground floor of the hall from the 1850s until 1976, and is now on display across the street in the Liberty Bell Center.

 

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

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Our Crustless Lemon Cream Pie is a fan favorite on Everyday Diabetic Recipes.com and since many of us think that eating healthier means that we need to cut out desserts, this super light and lemony pie, won't leave you feeling like you're giving up anything.

 

 

• 2 packages (4-serving-size) sugar-free lemon gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2 cups frozen light whipped topping, thawed

 

1. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; add ice cubes and stir until melted.
    
2. Add whipped topping; fold together gently. Pour into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. The whipped topping will naturally separate from the gelatin once poured into the pie plate, creating a top layer.
    
3. Cover, and chill at least 3 hours, or until set.

 

 

 

Historically this date.........

1877 – Thomas Edison demonstrates his phonograph for the first time.

 

1929 – U.S. Admiral Richard Byrd becomes the first person to fly over the South Pole.

 

1990 – Gulf War: The United Nations Security Council passes two resolutions to restore international peace and security if Iraq did not withdraw its forces from Kuwait and free all foreign hostages by January 15, 1991.

 

And births this date include...

1896 – Yakima Canutt, American actor and stuntman (d. 1986)

Interesting how he got his name, it sounds American Indian, not.

 

 
1927 – Vin Scully, American baseball announcer (d.2022)

 

 
1955 – Howie Mandel, Canadian comedian

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

We hope your sweet tooth is ready to celebrate National Lemon Cream Pie Day on November 29th. We know this time of year is more typically associated with pumpkin pie, but honestly we’ll take any excuse to celebrate any kind of pie—especially a pie that's been around for thousands of years. Historians say lemon desserts have been around since the Middle Ages! Whipped cream, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer: it didn’t show up until the 16th century. It first appeared in recipes in Italy in the mid-1500s and then traveled to France and showed up in recipes there just after 1600. Somewhere between then and now, someone had the brilliant idea to marry them together in a way that’s basically sunshine baked into a pie dish. So grab your fork and let’s dig in to this delectable holiday