Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Sean Connery ~ Stuffed Peppers ~ National Twin Day

  

Good 38º foggy morning.

 

 

Yesterday we had dark clouds and topped at 40º.

 

 

Picture of the Day ....calendar nap! 😁

 

 

Interesting about Sean Connery

 

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Connery originated the role in Dr. No (1962) and continued starring as Bond in the Eon Productions From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Connery made his final appearance in the franchise in Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film.

 

                                     1983

He is also known for his notable collaborations with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Lumet and John Huston. Their films in which Connery appeared included Marnie (1964), The Hill (1965), The Offence (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975). He also acted in Robin and Marian (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Time Bandits (1981), Highlander (1986), The Name of the Rose (1986), The Untouchables (1987), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996) and Finding Forrester (2000). His final on-screen role was as Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).

 

                                     1999

Connery received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award, the first Scottish actor to win the lattermost achievement. He also received honorary awards such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1987, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1998 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. He was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and a knight by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in 2000.

 

^{Thomas Connery was born at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 25 August 1930; he was named after his paternal grandfather. He was brought up at No. 176 Fountainbridge, a block which has since been demolished. His mother, Euphemia McBain "Effie" McLean, was a cleaning woman. The daughter of Neil McLean and Helen Forbes Ross, she was named after her father's mother, Euphemia McBain, wife of John McLean and daughter of William McBain from Ceres in Fife. Connery's father, Joseph Connery, was a factory worker and lorry driver.}

 

^{Connery's breakthrough came in the role of British secret agent James Bond. He was reluctant to commit to a film series, but understood that if the films succeeded, his career would greatly benefit. Between 1962 and 1967, Connery played 007 in Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice, the first five Bond films produced by Eon Productions. After departing from the role, Connery returned for the seventh film, Diamonds Are Forever, in 1971. Connery made his final appearance as Bond in Never Say Never Again, a 1983 remake of Thunderball produced by Jack Schwartzman's Taliafilm. All seven films were commercially successful. James Bond, as portrayed by Connery, was selected as the third-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute.}

 

Death and legacy

Connery died in his sleep on 31 October 2020, aged 90, at his home in the Lyford Cay community of Nassau in the Bahamas. His death was announced by his family and Eon Productions; although they did not disclose the cause of death, his son Jason said he had been unwell for some time. A day later, his widow revealed he had dementia in his final years. Connery's death certificate was obtained by TMZ a month after his death, showing the cause of death was pneumonia and respiratory failure, and the time of death was listed as 1:30 am. His remains were cremated, and the ashes were scattered in Scotland at undisclosed locations in 2022.

 

^{To read a lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Connery}

 

 

 From Mr. Food

Stuffed Peppers

 

 

One of the  most popular vegetables is the star in our recipe for  Stuffed Peppers. We stuff these fresh and colorful beauties with a saucy meat mixture to make 'em the perfect, flavor-packed, summer dish!

 

• 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup uncooked instant rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 6 bell peppers, washed, tops removed, and seeded

 

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, water, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Remove 1 cup of mixture to a large bowl and add to it ground beef, rice, and onion; mix well.
2. Stuff each bell pepper with an equal amount of the meat mixture. Place 2 cups tomato sauce mixture in soup pot and place peppers upright in sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over peppers.
3. Cover and cook over low heat 55 to 60 minutes, or until no pink remains in the beef and rice is tender.

 

Historically this date.......

1916 – World War I: The Battle of Verdun ends when German forces under Chief of Staff Erich Von Falkenhayn are defeated by the French and British, and suffer 337,000 casualties. Unbelievable!

 

1918 – The United States House of Representatives approves the Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition.

 

1932 – The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 in the first ever NFL Championship Game. Because of a blizzard, the game is moved from Wrigley Field to the Chicago Stadium, the field measuring 80 yards (73 m) long.

 

1958 – Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, is launched.

 

1966 – Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by Richard L. Walker.

 

 

 

And births this date include...

1878 – Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union (d. 1953)

 

 

 

1916 – Betty Grable, American actress (d. 1973)

 

 

 

1932 – Roger Smith, American actor (d.2017)

1943 – Keith Richards, English guitarist (The Rolling Stones)

 

1946 – Steven Spielberg, American film director

 

1954 – Ray Liotta, American actor (d.2022)

 

1963 – Brad Pitt, American actor

 

1978 – Katie Holmes, American actress

1980 – Christina Aguilera, American singer

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On December 18th, National Twin Day celebrates all the siblings who enjoy the unique connection because they share a birthday.

Whether fraternal or identical, twins share everything right from the beginning. While their personalities may be different, they often know what the other is going to say before the words are spoken. Distance isn’t an issue either. Twins manage to stay connected across the country or around the globe.

Of course, mythology teaches us about twins from the very beginning, as does the Bible. From the rivalry of Esau and Jacob to Aphrodite’s twin sons Phobos and Deimos as well as the mortal and immortal twins of the constellation, Gemini, we explore a host of human conditions.

Notable Twins

Through the years, we’ve been fascinated by twins, too. Literature embraced the twin duplicity with enthusiasm. Take Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, for example, and the confusion that ensues with Sebastian and Viola. Even modern-day sitcoms keep us in tears when twins are portrayed. Phoebe Buffay of the sitcom Friends and, more recently, Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory humorously depicted their twin lives.

But real-life twins intrigue us, too. When twins move into the White House, we are sure to pay attention, as was the case with Barbara and Jenna Bush in 2001. Of course, when they play magical characters like James and Oliver Phelps did in the Harry Potter series, we feel like they’re family. Their roles as Fred and George Weasley kept us coming back for more.

Some twins have the same interests. For example, Mark and Scott Kelly both became astronauts and have contributed not only to space exploration but also to scientific study. Twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux’s love of hockey brought them together on the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

Twins share so much more than DNA. Many of them don’t even look alike. One thing is for sure, they share National Twin Day.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL TWIN DAY

Give a shout-out to your favorite twins. Whether they are friends, family, or famous ones, let them know you’re thinking of them. If you’re a twin, tell your best twin memory. Share photos. Host a twin party. Invite all the twins you know and celebrate!. 

Educators, visit the National Day Calendar Classroom for projects designed for observances throughout the year, including National Twin Day.

NATIONAL TWIN DAY HISTORY

In 2019, National Day Calendar® proclaimed National Twin Day to celebrate all things twins and to be observed on December 18th, annually.

Relevant Observances

Twins Days Weekend – Twins converge on Twinsburg, OH to celebrate being twins during the first full weekend in August.

Twin FAQ

Q. What’s the difference between identical and fraternal twins?
A. Identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg while fraternal twins develop from two separate fertilized eggs.

Q. How many sets of twins are born each year?
A. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) twins comprise approximately 3.4% of the population.

Q. Is it possible for twins to have different birthdays?
A. Yes. The most common reason for twins having different birthdays is due to one twin being born before midnight and the other after midnight. However, sometimes twins are born days, weeks, or months apart. One reason for this may be due to multiple births being high risk and while one twin is delivered early, the other remains in the womb for the rest of the gestation or as long as possible for development.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Stella Stevens ~ Creamy Ham Casserole ~ John and Tanya Berokoff ~ Sami Pendleton ~ Wright Brothers Day

  

Good 29º dark foggy morning. 

 

Yesterday we saw blue sky and topped at 57º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...do I look like my mom? 😁

 

 

Interesting about Stella Stevens.........

 

Stella Stevens (born Estelle Caro Eggleston; October 1, 1938 – February 17, 2023) was an American actress. She is the mother of actor Andrew Stevens.

 

Stevens began her acting career in 1959 in film Say One for Me and won the Golden Globe Award - for "New Star of the Year". She appeared in three Playboy Pictorials and was named Playmate of the Month for January 1960.

 

She starred in films such as Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963), and The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and also appeared in several television series. Stevens also worked as film producer, director, and writer.

 

Early life

Born Estelle Caro Eggleston on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, she was the only child of Thomas Ellett Eggleston, an insurance salesman, and his wife, Estelle (née Caro) Eggleston, a nurse who was sometimes called by the nickname "Dovey". One of the younger Estelle Eggleston's great-grandfathers was Henry Clay Tyler, an early settler from Boston and a jeweler who gave the Yazoo City courthouse cupola its clock.

 

When Stella Stevens was four, her parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee; they lived on Carrington Road, near Highland Street, in the city. She attended St. Anne's Catholic School which is on Highland Street and Sacred Heart School on Jefferson Avenue graduating from high school in 1955 at the Memphis Evening School at Memphis Tech High School.

 

At age 16, she married electrician Noble Herman Stephens, on December 3, 1954, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. They moved to Memphis, where their only child, Herman Andrew Stephens was born on June 10, 1955. The couple divorced in 1957.

 

While studying at Memphis State University, Stella became interested in acting and modeling. According to her official biography, "Her schooling in Memphis, included a couple of years at Memphis State University, where she was noticed in the school play Bus Stop. The Memphis Press-Scimitar review of that performance in Memphis sparked her career."

 

Personal life

Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens from 1954 until their divorce in 1957. Their son Andrew was born in 1955. Following her divorce she changed the spelling of her last name to 'Stevens' and left her son in the custody of her parents while she sought out a successful acting career. In the years following, she and her former husband engaged in a custody battle for their son, with each party accusing the other of kidnapping, before Stevens finally won full custody.

 

In late 1976, Stevens purchased a ranch in Methow Valley near Carlton, Washington on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains. She also opened an art gallery and bakery in the nearby small town of Twisp, Washington.

 

In 1983, Stevens began a long-term relationship with rock guitarist Bob Kulick. A little over a year later, he moved into Stevens' Beverly Hills home. In March 2016, Kulick and Stevens sold her longtime Beverly Hills home, and she moved to a long-term Alzheimer's care facility in Los Angeles. Kulick often visited her there until his death on May 28, 2020.

 

Death

Stevens died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in Los Angeles on February 17, 2023, at the age of 84.

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

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

I published this about 3 years ago.

This Creamy Ham Casserole is an easy and simple ham casserole recipe that uses up your leftover ham and goes together in a flash. This is comfort food at its best, and it couldn't be easier to throw together, even on a busy weeknight! So the next time you're looking for a simple casserole recipe, just grab this one and get ready for a delicious ham casserole that'll please the whole gang.

 

• 8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup sliced celery
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento, drained on paper towel

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
    
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the pimiento, and noodles. Spoon into baking dish. 
    
3. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 
   
   

***Here's a great way to use leftover ham. Or, if you don't have any leftovers, take advantage of cubed cooked ham that's available in the meat counter of your supermarket. When you need just a few cups of ham, such as in this deliciously creamy recipe, it gives you an inexpensive head start for preparing a variety of meals.

 

Special anniversary today.... high school friend John Berokoff and his bride Tanya are celebrating Anniversary #56! Congratulations kids!

 

This picture taken at Sierra Park Grammar School:

 

back row L-R Gary Dimkitch (deceased), Janice Farrar (unknown where she is), and John Berokoff

.... and front row L-R

me, Myra Osborne (unknown where she is either), and Linda Watterlond

 

And here's a recent one John sent to me of he and Tanya...

 

 

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

1957 – The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1969 – Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs, stating that sightings are generated as a result of "A mild form of mass hysteria, Individuals who fabricate such reports to perpetrate a hoax or seek publicity, psychopathological persons, and misidentification of various conventional objects."

 

And births this date include....

1894 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (d. 1979)

LOVED loved loved watching him conduct the Boston Pops! When Brian was a little guy, 2 or so, he'd sit on my lap and conduct with Mr. Fiedler! Cute!

1927 – Richard Long, American actor (d. 1974)

                                    Big Valley... big fav!

 

1947 – Wes Studi, American actor

 

1953 – Barry Livingston, American actor

 

Yesterday my son Brian and his family went to Salem Oregon where his daughter Sami was in a gymnastics competition. Sami took 2nd 

All Around, 1st on the Vault, 3rd Beam, 6th Bars, and 4th Floor. Here she is in 1st place after the Vault.....

  

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

By Presidential Proclamation, December 17th is Wright Brothers Day. Each year, a proclamation invites the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

The US Code directs that Wright Brothers Day commemorates the first successful flights in a heavier than air, mechanically propelled airplane. Orville and Wilbur Wright made that first successful flight on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. While other inventors created planes that flew, Orville and Wilbur invented the first mechanically propelled aeroplane. Those inventors that came before them inspired the Wright brothers in many ways, too.

From a young age, Orville Wright and his brother, Wilbur, developed a fascination with flight. Inspired by a rubber band propelled helicopter created by the inventor, Alphonse Penaud, the brothers dedicated their lives to the invention. They first found success manufacturing bicycles, including the Van Cleve and St. Clair.

 

They never lost interest in flight and continued to develop designs. By 1902, the future aviators were making progress with their gliders and nearing a successful mechanical flight. They sold their bicycle business, and on December 17, 1903, achieved their goal.Orville Wright ( August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948 )

Orville Wright made the first flight for 12 seconds and 120 feet around the Wright Brothers National Memorial site, just south of Kitty Hawk on that date. While the Wright Brothers were not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, they are recognized as the first to invent aircraft controls that made the fixed-wing flight possible.

Wilbur Wright  ( April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912 )

More in Flight

Wright Brothers Day also recognizes other accomplishments in aviation history. Many exciting accomplishments, adventure, and daring heroism take place in aviation. In fact, numerous museums and landmarks around the world will walk you through aviation’s impressive timeline. From the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Ohio to March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California, and the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., nearly every state in the U.S. fills the imagination with original and replica planes of the pioneers of flight. Even the early frontier of space flight makes the schedule for aviation enthusiasts! Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center will not disappoint.

Of course, local libraries answer the call with shelves lined with books about every era of aviation. NASA also offers free e-books.

Interesting Aviation Facts

• The wingspan of the 747 is 120 feet, which is longer than the original Wright Brothers flight.
• Food tastes different under cabin pressure in an airplane.
• In the United States, over 6,000 passengers are flying at any given moment.
• For every hour spent flying, you can lose about two cups of water from your body. If you’re traveling cross-country, keep yourself hydrated.
• The President and Vice President of the United States never fly together, nor do they fly with the House of Representatives’ Speaker. Prince Charles never flies with Prince William. Just in case…

Legendary Aviators

• AMELIA EARHART – Female aviation pioneer
• BESSIE COLEMAN – First female aviator of both African American and Native American descent
• CHARLES LINDBERGH – first solo trans-Atlantic flight.
• MANFRED VON RICHTHOFEN – WWI flying ace, the celebrated “Red Baron”
• JERRIE MOCK – First woman aviator to successfully circumnavigate the globe solo
• HOWARD HUGHES – Aviator, tycoon, movie maker, and all-around eccentric
• CHUCK YEAGER – The test pilot who broke the sound barrier
• YURI GAGARIN – First man in space

Wright brothers and their plane....