Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ State of Georgia ~ Sweet and Sour Pork Chops ~ National Garlic Day

  

Good 38º morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we started frozen at 32º and had clear skies and we topped at 82º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....perfect timing. 😊

 

 

Interesting about the state of Georgia........

 

 

Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the northwest, North Carolina to the north, South Carolina to the northeast, Florida to the south, and Alabama to the west. Of the 50 United States, Georgia is the 24th-largest by area and 8th most populous. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, its 2023 estimated population was 11,029,227. Atlanta, a global city, is both the state's capital and its largest city. The Atlanta metropolitan area, with a population of more than 6.3 million people in 2023, is the 6th most populous metropolitan area in the United States and contains about 57% of Georgia's entire population. Other major metropolitan areas in the state include Augusta, Savannah, Columbus, and Macon. Georgia has 100 miles of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.

 

The Province of Georgia was created in 1732 and first settled in 1733 with the founding of Savannah. Georgia became a British royal colony in 1752. It was the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. Named after King George II of Great Britain, the Georgia Colony covered the area from South Carolina south to Spanish Florida and west to French Louisiana at the Mississippi River. On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution. From 1802 to 1804, western Georgia was split to form the Mississippi Territory, which later was admitted as the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi. Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate States. Following the Civil War, it was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. In the post-Reconstruction era of the late 19th century, Georgia's economy was transformed as a group of prominent politicians, businessmen, and journalists, led by Henry W. Grady, espoused the "New South" philosophy of sectional reconciliation and industrialization. During the mid-20th century, several people from Georgia, most notably Martin Luther King Jr., were prominent leaders during the civil rights movement. Atlanta was selected as host of the 1996 Summer Olympics, which marked the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. Since 1945, Georgia has seen substantial population and economic growth as part of the broader Sun Belt phenomenon. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing.

 

Georgia is defined by a diversity of landscapes, flora, and fauna. The state's northernmost regions include the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the larger Appalachian Mountain system. The Piedmont plateau extends from the foothills of the Blue Ridge south to the Fall Line, an escarpment to the Coastal Plain defining the state's southern region. Georgia's highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet above sea level; the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean. With the exception of some high-altitude areas in the Blue Ridge, the entirety of the state has a humid subtropical climate. Of the states entirely east of the Mississippi River, Georgia is the largest in land area.

 

History

Before settlement by Europeans, Georgia was inhabited by the mound building cultures. The Province of Georgia was founded by General James Oglethorpe at Savannah on February 12, 1733, a year after its creation as a new British colony. It was administered by the Trustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America under a charter issued by (and named for) King George II. The Trustees implemented an elaborate plan for the colony's settlement, known as the Oglethorpe Plan, which envisioned an agrarian society of yeoman farmers and prohibited slavery. The colony was invaded by the Spanish in 1742, during the War of Jenkins' Ear. In 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to the crown. Georgia became a crown colony, with a governor appointed by the king.

 

The Province of Georgia was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence. The State of Georgia's first constitution was ratified in February 1777. Georgia was the 10th state to ratify the Articles of Confederation on July 24, 1778,^[13] and was the 4th state to ratify the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788.

 

After the Creek War (1813–1814), General Andrew Jackson forced the Muscogee (Creek) tribes to surrender land to the state of Georgia, including in the Treaty of Fort Jackson (1814), surrendering 21 million acres in what is now southern Georgia and central Alabama, and the Treaty of Indian Springs (1825). In 1829, gold was discovered in the North Georgia mountains leading to the Georgia Gold Rush and establishment of a federal mint in Dahlonega, which continued in operation until 1861. The resulting influx of white settlers put pressure on the government to take land from the Cherokee Nation. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, sending many eastern Native American nations to reservations in present-day Oklahoma, including all of Georgia's tribes. Despite the Supreme Court's ruling in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) that U.S. states were not permitted to redraw Indian boundaries, President Jackson and the state of Georgia ignored the ruling. In 1838, his successor, Martin Van Buren, dispatched federal troops to gather the tribes and deport them west of the Mississippi. This forced relocation, known as the Trail of Tears, led to the death of more than four thousand Cherokees.

 

Atlanta, located in north-central Georgia at the Eastern Continental Divide, has been Georgia's capital city since 1868. It is the most populous city in Georgia, with a 2020 U.S. census population of just over 498,000. The state has seventeen cities with populations over 50,000, based on official 2020 U.S. census data.

 

    ^Agusta 

 

    ^Atlanta

 

    ^Columbus 

    ^Savannah 

If you want to read a lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

SERVES

4

COOK TIME

1 Hr 5 Min

If you're looking for the sweet and sour sauce they serve in Chinese restaurants, no need to buy bottled when our freshly made version tastes a million times better. We bet you'll agree our Sweet and Sour Pork Chops are amazing!

 

• 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained, with liquid reserved
• 1 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 to 6 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
    
2. In a large saucepan, combine reserved pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar; cook 5 minutes, until hot. Add pineapple chunks, carrots, and green pepper; remove from heat.
    
3. In a large skillet, heat oil; add chops and brown.
    
4. In a shallow baking dish, arrange chops; spread pineapple-vegetable mixture over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25-35 minutes, until chops are done and vegetables are crisp-tender.
   
   

***For that extra authentic feel, serve this one up over white rice!

 

 

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

1927 – Mae West is sentenced to 10 days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.

 

Cary Grant told me once that she was a real piece of work and he couldn't stand her! (That is when I worked for Fabergé and he was on the board of directors)

1955 – The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize its dealer and service network.

1956 – Actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco.

1971 – Charles Manson is sentenced to death for conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders.

1989 – A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors.

1993 – The 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian building outside Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. Eighty-one people die.

 

And births this date include....

1903 – Eliot Ness, American lawman (d. 1957)

 

1925 – Hugh O'Brian, American actor (d.2016)

1930 – Dick Sargent, American actor (d. 1994)

 

1933 – Jayne Mansfield, American actress (d. 1967)

 

1935 – Dudley Moore, English actor, comedian and composer (d. 2002)

 

 

1937 – Elinor Donahue, American actress

 

1979 – Kate Hudson, American actress

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on April 19th, National Garlic Day celebrates a vegetable also known as the stinking rose. The fragrant and potent root has been seasoning dishes for thousands of years.

This stinking rose is a member of the lily family. This family also includes onions, leeks, and shallots. While garlic originated in Asia over 7,000 years ago, it is used in a variety of cuisines.

Garlic is quite versatile, too. It is also used for medicinal purposes. The mighty bulb is considered an herbal remedy for colds and may reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Modern science has also proven garlic’s antibiotic properties.

Myth and superstition reek of garlic. The most familiar one suggests that garlic wards off vampires. This same theory seemed to work on witches, werewolves, demons and other such evils one could come across. Folklore also tells us garlic grew from satan’s left footprint when he left the Garden of Eden; Greek midwives kept evils spirits away with it, and courage filled Roman soldiers who consumed the bulb.

Consider our dreams and garlic, too. Our dreams often have meaning. Dreaming of garlic is no different. To dream about garlic in the house suggests good luck and if the dream includes eating garlic (perhaps in a pesto sauce), there might be hidden secrets. Over 300 varieties of garlic grow around the world to dream about as well!

Gilroy, California claims to be the Garlic Capital of the World. Will Rogers was once quoted as saying it is “…the only place in America where you can marinate a steak just by hanging it out on a clothesline.”

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Alabama History ~ Meatball Mac and Cheese ~ National Lineman Appreciation Day

  

Good 31º frozen morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we were clear and sunny.....

We started at 30º and topped at 76º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...car driven upside down! 😲

 

 

Interesting about Alabama

 

 

 

Alabama (/ˌæləˈbæmə/ AL-ə-BAM-ə) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th largest by area and the 24th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states.

 

Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie" and the "Cotton State". The state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia. Alabama's capital is Montgomery, and its largest city by population and area is Huntsville. Its oldest city is Mobile, founded by French colonists (Alabama Creoles) in 1702 as the capital of French Louisiana. Greater Birmingham is Alabama's largest metropolitan area and its economic center.

 

Originally home to many native tribes, present-day Alabama was a Spanish territory beginning in the sixteenth century until the French acquired it in the early eighteenth century. The British won the territory in 1763 until losing it in the American Revolutionary War. Spain held Mobile as part of Spanish West Florida until 1813. In December 1819, Alabama was recognized as a state. During the antebellum period, Alabama was a major producer of cotton, and widely used African American slave labor. In 1861, the state seceded from the United States to become part of the Confederate States of America, with Montgomery acting as its first capital, and rejoined the Union in 1868. Following the American Civil War, Alabama would suffer decades of economic hardship, in part due to agriculture and a few cash crops being the main driver of the state's economy. Similar to other former slave states, Alabamian legislators employed Jim Crow laws from the late 19th century up until the 1960s. High-profile events such as the Selma to Montgomery march made the state a major focal point of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

During and after World War II, Alabama grew as the state's economy diversified with new industries. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville would help Alabama's economic growth in the mid-to-late 20th century, by developing an aerospace industry. Alabama's economy in the 21st century is based on automotive, finance, tourism, manufacturing, aerospace, mineral extraction, healthcare, education, retail, and technology.

 

The state has diverse geography, with the north dominated by the mountainous Tennessee Valley and the south by Mobile Bay, a historically significant port. Politically, as part of the Deep South, Alabama is predominantly a conservative state, and is known for its Southern culture. Within Alabama, American football, particularly at the college level, plays a major part of the state's culture.

 

Etymology

The European-American naming of the Alabama River and state was derived from the Alabama people, a Muskogean-speaking tribe whose members lived just below the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers on the upper reaches of the river.^[17] In the Alabama language, the word for a person of Alabama lineage is Albaamo (or variously Albaama or Albàamo in different dialects; the plural form is Albaamaha). The word's spelling varies significantly among historical sources. The first usage appears in three accounts of the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540: Garcilaso de la Vega used Alibamo, while the Knight of Elvas and Rodrigo Ranjel wrote Alibamu and Limamu, respectively, in transliterations of the term. As early as 1702, the French called the tribe the Alibamon, with French maps identifying the river as Rivière des Alibamons. Other spellings of the name have included Alibamu, Alabamo, Albama, Alebamon, Alibama, Alibamou, Alabamu, and Allibamou. The use of state names derived from Native American languages is common in the U.S.; an estimated 26 states have names of Native American origin.

 

Sources disagree on the word's meaning. Some scholars suggest the word comes from the Choctaw alba (meaning 'plants' or 'weeds') and amo (meaning 'to cut', 'to trim', or 'to gather'). The meaning may have been 'clearers of the thicket' or 'herb gatherers', referring to clearing land for cultivation or collecting medicinal plants. The state has numerous place names of Native American origin.

 

Alabama is the thirtieth-largest state in the United States with 52,419 square miles of total area: 3.2% of the area is water, making Alabama 23rd in the amount of surface water, also giving it the second-largest inland waterway system in the United States. About three-fifths of the land area is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain, a gentle plain with a general descent towards the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The North Alabama region is mostly mountainous, with the Tennessee River cutting a large valley and creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes.

 

Alabama is bordered by the states of Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama has coastline at the Gulf of Mexico, in the extreme southern edge of the state. The state ranges in elevation from sea level at Mobile Bay to more than 2,000 feet in the northeast, to Mount Cheaha at 2,413 ft.

 

Alabama's land consists of 22 million acres of forest or 67% of the state's total land area. Suburban Baldwin County, along the Gulf Coast, is the largest county in the state in both land area and water area.

 

^{^}

^{Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near the planned crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North Alabama railroads, including land formerly a part of the Benjamin P. Worthington plantation. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre & Allen. The site of the railroad crossing was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – the three main raw materials used in making steel.}

 

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

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

SERVES

4

COOK TIME

20 Min

Add a little beefiness to your macaroni and cheese with our recipe for Meatball Mac & Cheese. This easy, cheesy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe gets easily "beefed up" thanks to a convenient ingredient we found in the freezer aisle!

 

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup (about 1/2 pound) diced Cheddar cheese or cubed processed cheese spread (like Velveeta)
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup frozen cocktail meatballs, thawed and cut in half

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large pot of boiling water, cook macaroni until just tender, drain and place in a large bowl.
    
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk and cheese together over medium heat until cheese melts; stir in mustard and salt.
    
3. Add meatballs and cheese mixture to macaroni, mix well. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through. Serve.

 

 

 

Historically this date

1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico.

 

1906 – An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California.

1923 – Yankee Stadium, "The House that Ruth Built", opens.

1983 – A suicide bomber destroys the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people.

1997 – The Red River flood begins and soon overwhelms the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Fire breaks out and spreads in downtown Grand Forks, but high water levels hamper efforts to reach the fire, leading to the destruction of 11 buildings.

 

 

And births this date include....

1922 – Barbara Hale, American actress (d.2017)

 

 

1946 – Hayley Mills, English actress

 

1947 – James Woods, American actor

1956 – Eric Roberts, American actor

.... brother to Julia and with a common doper arrest record!

Possession, resisting, wife beater! Nice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1961 – Jane Leeves, British actress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18th honors the men and women who work around the clock to keep the power going.  If the power is on where you are reading this article, you likely have a lineman to thank.

From the power plant, the grid crisscrossing the country both above and underground and right up to the meters on our homes, these men and women build and maintain the system that keeps our nation running.

Regardless of the source, the electricity has to be transported by employing transformers and other equipment. Due to the dangerous conditions power poses, safety is of utmost importance for both the lineman and the consumer.

When mother nature destroys what our linemen have built up, they are on call to build it back up again as quickly as possible. These men and women work tirelessly to get emergency systems back in working order and urgently return service to remaining areas.

Even when there is no crisis, they work under dangerous conditions on a daily basis. Whether they are working in trenches, near water or on high towers, the risks are extreme.

 

NATIONAL LINEMAN APPRECIATION DAY HISTORY

On April 10, 2013, U.S. Senate Resolution 95 recognized linemen across the country by setting April 18th as National Lineman Appreciation Day.