Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Fred Astaire ~ Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner ~ Ron Loynds ~ National V-J Day

  

Good 58º dark cloudy morning.

 

 

Yesterday we got really cloudy......

We had some rain and we topped at 75º.

And I had a visitor......

 

 

Picture of the Day.... funny mailbox

 

 

Interesting about Fred Astaire..........

 

Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, choreographer and presenter. He is widely regarded as the "greatest popular-music dancer of all time". He received numerous accolades including an Honorary Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center tribute in 1973, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, and AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1972, and the Television Hall of Fame in 1989.

 

Astaire's career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He starred in more than 10 Broadway and West End musicals, made 31 musical films, four television specials, and numerous recordings. As a dancer, he was known for his uncanny sense of rhythm, creativity, and tireless perfectionism. Astaire's most memorable dancing partnership was with Ginger Rogers, whom he co-starred with in 10 Hollywood musicals during the classic age of Hollywood cinema, including Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), and Shall We Dance (1937). Astaire's fame grew in films like Holiday Inn (1942), Easter Parade (1948), The Band Wagon (1953), Funny Face (1957), and Silk Stockings (1957). The American Film Institute named Astaire the fifth-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema in 100 Years... 100 Stars.

 

Fred Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Johanna "Ann" (née Geilus; 1878–1975) and Friedrich "Fritz" Emanuel Austerlitz (1868–1923), known in the U.S. as Frederic Austerlitz. Astaire's mother was born in the U.S. to Lutheran German immigrants from East Prussia and Alsace. Astaire's father was born in Linz in Upper Austria, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to Catholic parents who had converted from Judaism.

 

Astaire's father Fritz Austerlitz arrived in New York City at the age of 25 on October 26, 1893 at Ellis Island. Fritz was seeking work in the brewing trade and moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he was employed by the Storz Brewing Company. Astaire's mother dreamed of escaping Omaha by means of her children's talents. Astaire's older sister Adele was an instinctive dancer and singer early in her childhood. Johanna planned a brother-and-sister act, common in vaudeville at the time, for her two children. Although Fred refused dance lessons at first, he easily mimicked his older sister's steps and learned piano, accordion and clarinet.

 

The Astaires broke into Broadway in 1917 with Over the Top, a patriotic revue, and performed for U.S. and Allied troops at this time as well. They followed up with several more shows. Of their work in The Passing Show of 1918, Heywood Broun wrote: "In an evening in which there was an abundance of good dancing, Fred Astaire stood out ... He and his partner, Adele Astaire, made the show pause early in the evening with a beautiful loose-limbed dance."

 

Personal life

Astaire married 25-year-old Phyllis Potter in 1933 (formerly Phyllis Livingston Baker [1908–1954]), a Boston-born New York socialite and former wife of Eliphalet Nott Potter III (1906–1981), despite his mother's and sister's objections. Phyllis's death from lung cancer, at the age of 46, ended 21 years of marriage and left Astaire devastated. Astaire attempted to drop out of the film Daddy Long Legs (1955), which he was in the process of filming, offering to pay the production costs to date, but was persuaded to stay.

 

In addition to Phyllis Potter's son, Eliphalet IV (known as Peter), the Astaires had two children. The Astaires' son, Fred Jr. (born 1936), appeared with his father in the movie Midas Run and later became a charter pilot and rancher. The Astaires' daughter Ava Astaire (born 1942) remains involved in promoting her father's legacy.

 

Intensely private, Fred Astaire was rarely seen on the Hollywood social scene. Instead, he devoted his spare time to his family and his hobbies, which included horse racing, playing the drums, songwriting, and golfing. He was good friends with David Niven, Randolph Scott, Clark Gable and Gregory Peck. Niven described him as "a pixie—timid, always warm-hearted, with a penchant for schoolboy jokes." In 1946, his horse Triplicate won the Hollywood Gold Cup and San Juan Capistrano Handicap. He remained physically active well into his eighties. He took up skateboarding in his late seventies and was awarded a life membership in the National Skateboard Society. At 78, he broke his left wrist while skateboarding in his driveway. He also had an interest in boxing and true crime.

 

Astaire was a Republican and a charter member of the Hollywood Republican Committee.

 

Death

Astaire died of pneumonia on June 22, 1987, at the age of 88. His body was buried at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California. One of his last requests was to thank his fans for their years of support.

 

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

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

You'll love this sheet pan dinner 'cause it's so easy to make and clean. The whole family will love it 'cause it's so tasty! Our Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner is an all-in-one, no-fuss meal that's fit for a hungry family. Hearty pork chops, potatoes, and carrots are seasoned with yummy ranch dressing, which makes for a flavorful meal. You'll definitely want to add this sheet pan dinner to your weeknight dinner line-up.

 

 

• 1/2 pound small potatoes, cut into quarters
• 8 ounces petite carrots
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch dressing and seasoning mix, divided
• 4 bone-in center cut pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick

 

1. Heat oven to 375º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine potatoes, carrots, and 2 tablespoons oil; toss with 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix until evenly coated. Place on baking sheet.
3. Brush pork chops with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle evenly with remaining dressing mix. Arrange pork chops between potatoes and carrots on baking sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center and vegetables are tender, turning pork halfway through cooking.

 

Special birthday today..... Ron Loynds is celebrating. Happy Birthday Ron! Ron was a classmate of mine in high school. Here he is with his bride Sue....

 

and as a Woodrow Wilson High School football player.....

 

 

Historically this date........

1789 – The United States Department of the Treasury is founded.

1901 – Vice President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt utters the famous phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick" at the Minnesota State Fair.

1945 – World War II: Combat ends in the Pacific Theater: the Instrument of Surrender of Japan is signed by Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and accepted aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

 

 

 

 

On a trip to Hawaii a few years ago with family, we went to the USS Missouri for a tour. My Brian had been in the USMC and had been stationed aboard the Mo during the Gulf War as an "anti-terrorist specialist". He gave us a personalized tour of the ship.

 

 

 

1998 – Swissair Flight 111 crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia. All 229 people on board are killed.

 

And births this date include....

1838 – Liliuokalani of Hawaii, Queen of Hawaii (d. 1917)

 

 

 

 

 

1919 – Marge Champion, American actress (d.2020)

 

 

... during my ballet years in the '60's I took lessons from her father, Ernest Belcher. "trainer and coach of many film performers, including Beth Beri, Mary Pickford, Pola Negri, Ramon Navarro, Nanette Fabray and Shirley Temple".

1948 – Terry Bradshaw, American football player

 

1948 – Christa McAuliffe, American schoolteacher and astronaut (d. 1986)

 

 

 

 

1951 – Mark Harmon, American actor

1964 – Keanu Reeves, Canadian actor

 

1966 – Salma Hayek, Mexican actress

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On September 2, National V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) recognizes Allied Forces’ victory over Japan during World War II.  Officials announced the surrender of Japan to the Allies on August 15, 1945. The official signing of surrender took place on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.

Six-years of sacrifice and horrors preceded this moment. All around the world, celebrations erupted. However, there would be years of reconciliations, discoveries and coming to terms with the damage done to relations and humanity.

 

HISTORY

The formal signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.  At that time, President Truman declared September 2 to be the official V-J Day. However, over the years, many citizens of the United States celebrated August 14 as V-J Day in conjunction with the European observation on August 15th.

Interesting that the surrender took place on August 15th which was my Mother's birthday and the treaty was signed on the 2nd of Sept, which is my birthday! Also, I was the first baby born in Los Angeles at 2:03am on VJ Day. My picture, being held by a nurse (top right) was with the other babies born the previous day was put on the front page of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. No name of course, as I wasn't named Virginia Jane or Valerie June or some VJ name... Susan Leslie wasn't good enough! LOL.