Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Actor Peter Lawford ~ Broccoli Tots ~ David Smail ~ National Camera Day

  

Good 52º clear sky morning.

 

 

Yesterday we started at 47º and had scattered clouds. We topped at 91º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...Green horned caterpillar 😧 

 

 

 

Interesting about actor Peter Lawford....

 

                                ^1945

 

 

Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford (né Aylen; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor.

 

He was a member of the "Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of US president John F. Kennedy and senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy. From the 1940s to the 1960s, he was a well-known celebrity and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. In later years, he was noted more for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting; it was said that he was "famous for being famous".

Early life

Born in London in 1923, Lawford was the only child of Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, KBE (1865–1953) and May Sommerville Bunny (1883–1972). At the time of his birth, his mother was married to Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ernest Vaughn Aylen DSO, one of Sir Sydney's officers, while his father was married to Muriel Williams. At the time, May and Ernest Aylen were living apart. May confessed to Aylen that the child was not his, a revelation that resulted in a double divorce. Sydney and May wed in September 1924 after their divorces were finalized and when their son was one year old.

 

Lawford's family was connected to the British aristocracy through his uncle Ernest Lawford's wife (a daughter of the Scottish 14th Earl of Eglinton) as well as his aunt Ethel Turner Lawford (who married a son of the 1st Baron Avebury). His aunt, Jessie Bruce Lawford, another of his father's sisters, was the second wife of the Hon Hartley Williams, senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court of the colony of Victoria, Australia. A relative, through his mother, was Australian artist Rupert Bunny.

Early childhood

He spent his early childhood in France and, owing to his family's travels, was never formally educated. Instead, he was schooled by governesses and tutors, and his education included tennis and ballet lessons.

 

"In the beginning," his mother observed, "he had no homework. When he was older he had Spanish, German and music added to his studies. He read only selected books: English fairy stories, English and French classics; no crime stories. Having studied Peter for so long, I decided he was quite unfitted for any career except art, so I cut Latin, Algebra, high mathematics and substituted dramatics instead."

 

Because of the widely varying national and religious backgrounds of his tutors, Lawford "attended various services in churches, cathedrals, synagogues and for some time was an usher in a Christian Science Sunday School...."

 

Around 1930, aged seven, he made his acting debut in the English film Poor Old Bill. He also had an uncredited bit in A Gentleman of Paris (1931).

Accident

At the age of 14, Lawford severely injured his right arm in an accident when it went through a glass door. Irreversible nerve damage severely compromised the use of his forearm and hand, which he later learned to conceal. The injury resulted in his being unable to follow a military career as his parents had hoped. Instead, Lawford pursued a career as an actor, a decision that resulted in one of his aunts refusing to leave him her considerable fortune, as she had originally planned.

                                                          
                             ^1951

Career

Early career

In 1938, Lawford was travelling through Hollywood when he was spotted by a talent scout. He was screen tested and made his Hollywood debut in a minor part in the film Lord Jeff starring Freddie Bartholomew.

 

The outbreak of World War II found the Lawfords in Florida. In a matter of days, they realized that they had been stranded. Their money was in Britain and Britain was at war. Their assets were frozen. Peter, then 16, took a job parking cars. When he saved enough money for the fare, he went back to Hollywood where he supported himself working as a theater usher until he began to get film work.

 

^{Lawford's first leading role came in Son of Lassie (1945), a big hit.}

 

^{His first marriage, in 1954, was to socialite Patricia Kennedy, a younger sister of John F. Kennedy, then a Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts. They had four children: a son, actor and author Christopher Lawford (1955−2018), and daughters Sydney Maleia Lawford (b. 1956), Victoria Francis Lawford (b. 1958), and Robin Elizabeth Lawford (b. 1961).}

                             ^1955

 

Lawford married his second wife, Mary Rowan, daughter of comedian Dan Rowan, in October 1971. Rowan and Lawford separated two years later and divorced in January 1975. In June 1976 he married aspiring actress Deborah Gould, whom he had known for three weeks. Lawford and Gould separated two months after marrying and divorced in 1977. Following the divorce, Lawford moved into the Sierra Towers where he lived for the next few years on the 30th floor. During his separation from Gould, Lawford met Patricia Seaton who became his fourth and final wife in July 1984, just months before his death.

 

 

^{Peter Lawford and Sinatra appeared in Oceans 11 (1960). Lawford had been first told of the basic story of the film by director Gilbert Kay, who heard the idea from a gas station attendant. Lawford eventually bought the rights in 1958, imagining William Holden in the lead. Sinatra became interested in the idea, and a variety of writers worked on the project.}

Death

Lawford died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve 1984, aged 61, from cardiac arrest. He suffered from kidney failure and liver failure after years of substance abuse.^[56] His body was cremated, and his ashes were interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. Owing to a dispute between his widow and the cemetery, Lawford's ashes were removed from the cemetery in 1988 and scattered into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California by his widow Patricia Seaton Lawford, who invited the National Enquirer tabloid to photograph the event.

 

^{If you want to read a lot more, go here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lawford}

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

SERVES

5

COOK TIME

25 Min

Potato tots are great, but they're not the best idea for anyone following a diabetic diet. That's why we came up with a healthier version using broccoli. Our Broccoli Tots are perfect for snacking on or for serving alongside any of your favorite main dishes.

• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place broccoli in boiling water and blanche 2 minutes; drain well.
2. Finely chop broccoli and place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Shape about a heaping tablespoon of broccoli mixture into "tater tot" shape and place on baking sheet. Repeat until all mixture is used.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

***Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

 

 

 

 

Special birthday today.... one of "our sons" ... and retired LASD, David Smail is celebrating today. He was an Explorer Scout at Temple, worked at the coroner's office before becoming a Deputy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!

           ^1980... David with my Kristen and Brian

 

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

 

1974 – Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from the Soviet Union to Canada while on tour with Bolshoi Ballet.

1995 – The Sampoong Department Store collapses in the Seocho-gu district of Seoul,South Korea, killing 501 and injuring 937.

 

2006 – Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: The U.S. Supreme Court rules that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law.

 

2007 – Apple Inc. releases its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

 

2012 – A derecho (wind storm!) strikes the eastern United States, leaving at least 22 people dead and millions without power.

 

And births this date..

1919 – Slim Pickens, American actor (d. 1983)

 

 

 

 

 

1944 – Gary Busey, American actor  (creepy!!!)

 

 

1962 – George D. Zamka, American colonel, pilot, and

 astronaut

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Everything comes into focus on June 29th each year when we recognize National Camera Day. The day commemorates photographs, the camera, and their invention. A camera is an irreplaceable tool used to record and replicate memories, events, and people/places. Before the invention of the camera, the only resource to document a vision was a painting. Capturing an image of a person or place in a drawing took time and skill. Very few people can perfectly draw the likeness of someone, let alone capture the essence of an event.

The power of a camera provided many with a simple, inexpensive, and fast solution. George Eastman, also known as “The Father of Photography,” brought the camera to the masses. While he did not invent the camera, he did develop many additions improving the use, ease, and production of the camera. His developments made the camera widely available to homes around the world.

While the first cameras were large and bulky, each later design evolved until some cameras were as small as a pen. Today’s digital cameras have many features and variations, making them appealing to people of all ages for personal and professional use. The portable and easy to use features not only allow us to take photos quickly, but we can also edit them on the fly. Smartphones with built-in cameras include features that allow us to share photos instantly, too.

Taking photos has become so easy, that according to Business Insider, in 2017 over 1.2 trillion digital photos were taken. From a large boxy camera to one that fits in our pocket, cameras have come a long way.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Whether photography is a hobby or your profession, celebrate the day by taking photos. Snap a picture of something or someone you enjoy and cherish the memory. But taking pictures isn’t the only way to celebrate.

• Take a photography class.
• Teach someone how to take outstanding photos.
• Expand your photography skills by learning more about your camera.
• Try a different style of photography or camera.

Everything about taking quality photos begins with the best equipment you can find.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ James Dean ~ Minnesota Hot Dish ~ Oldest Sister Betty ~ National Paul Bunyan Da

  

Good 48º clear sunny sky morning.

 

 

Yesterday we had scattered clouds. We started at 51º and topped at 87º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....what a crazy building! 😧

 

 

Interesting about James Dean...

 

 

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor with a career that lasted five years. His roles typified teenage disillusionment and social estrangement of his time. He had several uncredited roles from 1951 to 1953 before starring as a rebellious son attempting to win his father's approval in East of Eden (1955). In Rebel Without a Cause (1955), he portrayed a teenager struggling to make sense of his emotions, who feels frustrated with his family and social life. His last lead role was playing a Texan rancher who discovered oil and became rich, in Giant (1956).

 

Dean died in a car crash in 1955. He became the only actor to receive two posthumous Academy Award acting nominations, being nominated in the Best Actor category for East of Eden and Giant. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him the 18th best male movie star of Golden Age Hollywood in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars list. Dean's film roles, fashion, and manners became celebrated in popular culture and influenced the development of rock and roll in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

Early life and education

Dean was born on February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana,^[1] the only child of Mildred Marie Wilson and Winton Dean. He claimed that his mother was partly Native American, and that his father belonged to a "line of original settlers that could be traced back to the Mayflower". Six years after his father had left farming to become a dental technician, Dean moved with his family to Santa Monica, California. He was enrolled at Brentwood Public School in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, but transferred soon afterward to the McKinley Elementary School. The family spent several years there, and by all accounts, Dean was very close to his mother. According to Michael DeAngelis, she was "the only person capable of understanding him". In 1938, Dean's mother was suddenly struck with acute stomach pain and quickly began to lose weight. She died of uterine cancer when Dean was nine years old. Unable to care for his son, Dean's father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle, Ortense and Marcus Winslow, on their farm in Fairmount, Indiana, where he was raised in their Quaker household. Dean's father served in World War II and later remarried.

 

In his adolescence, Dean sought the counsel and friendship of a local Methodist pastor, the Rev. James DeWeerd, who seems to have had a formative influence upon Dean, especially upon his future interests in bullfighting, car racing, and theater.^[7] According to Billy J. Harbin, Dean had "an intimate relationship with his pastor, which began in his senior year of high school and endured for many years". An alleged sexual relationship was suggested in Paul Alexander's 1994 book Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean. In 2011, it was reported that Dean once confided in Elizabeth Taylor that he was sexually abused by a minister approximately two years after his mother's death. Other reports on Dean's life also suggest that he was sexually abused by DeWeerd either as a child or as a late teenager.

 

Dean's overall performance in school was exceptional and he was a popular student. He played on the baseball and varsity basketball teams, studied drama, and competed in public speaking through the Indiana High School Forensic Association. After graduating from Fairmount High School in May 1949, he moved back to California with his dog, Max, to live with his father and stepmother. Dean enrolled in Santa Monica College and majored in pre-law. He transferred to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for one semester and changed his major to drama, which resulted in estrangement from his father. He pledged the Sigma Nu fraternity but was never initiated. While at UCLA, Dean was picked from a group of 350 actors to portray Malcolm in Macbeth. At that time, he also began acting in James Whitmore's workshop. In January 1951, he dropped out of UCLA to pursue a full-time career as an actor.

 

 

Personal life

Screenwriter William Bast was one of Dean's closest friends, a fact acknowledged by Dean's family. According to Bast, he was Dean's roommate at UCLA and later in New York, and knew Dean throughout the last five years of his life. While at UCLA, Dean dated Beverly Wills, an actress with CBS, and Jeanette Lewis, a classmate. Bast and Dean often double-dated with them. Wills began dating Dean alone, later telling Bast, "Bill, there's something we have to tell you. It's Jimmy and me. I mean, we're in love." They broke up after Dean "exploded" when another man asked her to dance while they were at a function. Bast, who was also Dean's first biographer, would not confirm whether he and Dean had a sexual relationship until 2006. In his book Surviving James Dean, Bast was more open about the nature of his relationship with Dean, writing that they had been lovers one night while staying at a hotel in Borrego Springs. In his book, Bast also described the difficult circumstances of their involvement.

 

In 1996, actress Liz Sheridan detailed her relationship with Dean in New York in 1952, saying it was "just kind of magical. It was the first love for both of us." Sheridan published her memoir, Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean; A Love Story, in 2000.

 

If you want to read a whole lot more, go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

SERVES

4

COOK TIME

 

Our Minnesota Hot Dish is a meat and potato lovers dream! This hot dish recipe with hamburger also has potato tots on top and veggies inside. Talk about hearty! The best part? This comforting hot dish recipe bakes up in under 40 minutes, which makes it the perfect busy weeknight dinner. (And, in case you were wondering, a hot dish is just like a casserole -- they just say "hot dish" instead of "casserole" over in Minnesota.)

 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 (32-ounce) package frozen seasoned potato nuggets

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 2-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
    
2. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion, and salt, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Spoon ground beef into prepared baking dish.
    
3. In a small bowl combine soup and milk, mix well. Layer frozen vegetables, soup mixture, and cheese over ground beef. Top with frozen potatoes.
    
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until potatoes are golden and casserole is heated through.

 

 

Historically this date.......

1846 – The saxophone is patented by Adolphe Sax in Paris, France.

1997 – Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield II – Tyson is disqualified in the 3rd round for biting a piece off Holyfield's ear.

2005 – War in Afghanistan: Three U.S. Navy SEALs, 16 American Special Operations Forces soldiers, and an unknown number of Taliban insurgents are killed

 

And births this date include...

1926 – Mel Brooks, American filmmaker

1948 – Kathy Bates, American actress

 

1960 – John Elway, American football player

 

1966 – John Cusack, American actor

1966 – Mary Stuart Masterson, American actress

 

Today was my oldest sister's birthday. She was born in 1928 and passed away in 2021. She was the oldest, my sister Marion was next, and I was last......... here we are with my mom, Margaret....

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On June 28th, we remember fondly the tales of the big blue ox and a mighty lumberjack. It is National Paul Bunyan Day!

Described as a giant and a lumberjack of unusual skill, Paul Bunyan is one of the most famous North American folklore heroes. In the tales, Paul Bunyan was almost always accompanied by his companion, Babe the Blue Ox.

Was He Real?

First appearing in print in 1906, in a story published by Northern Michigan journalist James MacGillivray, Bunyan’s character originated in folktales circulated among lumberjacks in the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. One account states that the tales began during the Papineau Rebellion of 1837. In 1914, William Laughhead reworked the stories for a logging company’s advertising campaign. The campaign breathed new life into the growing legendary character of Paul Bunyan. It was the 1922 edition of Laughead’s tales that inspired many others and soon the character’s plaid shirt and far-fetched characteristics spread across all of the United States and Canada.

Many cities in the north-central section of the United States, claim the title as the official home of Paul Bunyan.  

Statue of Paul Bunyan in Akeley, MN

The Folklore

While folklore surrounds the lumberjack, Paul Bunyan is one character that has an origin story. One Paul Bunyan legend claims it took five storks to carry him as a newborn. As he grew a little older, when he clapped his hands and laughed, windows shook and shattered. The story continues that he sawed off the legs of his parents’ bed in the middle of the night when he was only seven months old. Folklore also credits Bunyan with forming the Grand Canyon as he and Babe the Blue Ox walked through, dragging his ax behind him. Another myth suggests Bunyan created the Great Lakes so Babe had a watering hole.