holidays | Gunsmoke and Knitting

Posts Tagged ‘holidays’

Who discovered what today? Jan 18

January 18, 2014

Captain James Cook discovered Hawaii on this day in 1778.

He looks pretty stern for a man who spent his life on ocean cruises.

On January 18, 1778, the English explorer Captain James Cook becomes the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands when he sails past the island of Oahu. Two days later, he landed at Waimea on the island of Kauai and named the island group the Sandwich Islands, in honor of John Montague, who was the earl of Sandwich and one his patrons.

While the encounter started out brilliantly for the Europeans, it did not end well for them. On a subsequent voyage, they were exposed as mortals and not the gods the Hawaiians first believed them to be and trouble reigned in this island paradise. However, ultimately, things did not end well for the Hawaiians.

Here is a little geology information about the Hawaiian Islands that are traveling on the Pacific Plate over a hot spot on the ocean floor.

And here are some more idyllic Hawaiian shots.

My bags are packed – I’m ready to go.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged geology, Hawaii, history, holidays, James Cook, natural history, nature, Oahu, Pacific Plate, Sandwich Islands, travel | 2 Comments »

What am I sappy cat blogging?

January 3, 2014

Cmdr. Sam Vimes helped me get ready for Christmas. I made white silk scarves and the fringe, I understand, was fascinating.

Happy New Year!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged animals, cats, Christmas, Friday, holidays, Sam Vimes, sappy cat blogging, sewing, silk scarves, white silk scarves | 4 Comments »

What am I celebrating?

December 23, 2013

On December 23, the Night of the Radishes is celebrated in Oaxaca. These impressive root vegetables are left in the ground past their normal harvesting time allowing them to assume fantastic sizes and shapes. Thought to have originated in 1897 as a strategy by market stand owners to lure worshipers to shop on their way home from church, Oaxacans since that time have been carving radishes into sculptures that are sometimes realistic and sometimes fanciful.

Often the sculptures depict a nativity scene.

But not always.

The festival does not end on December 23, but continues through the Christmas holidays in a curious blending of a harvest festival and religious observance.

To learn 10 facts about radishes, here is an article from the Daily Express.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged art, Christmas, food, food art, holidays, night of the radishes, Oaxaca Mexico, radish, travel, whimsey | 4 Comments »

To what am I listening?

December 12, 2013

Pointed out to me by HMS Defiant.

Happy Holidays to All

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Air and Space Museum, Air Force, Air Force Band, Christmas, entertainment, holidays, Smithsonian, space | Leave a Comment »

Where am I coming from?

November 24, 2013

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. Thoughts turn to the pilgrims who traveled across the ocean seeking religious freedom in a new land, and learning how to plant fish along with their crops.

Subsequently, lots of people from many different have come to make the the U.S.A. their home. So, which nationality group is the most prevalent in the U.S. today? Here’s a map from a story in the Daily Mail that has the information all laid out, and there is more information on their site.

Did you know this? Were you surprised?

Ref. Maggie’s Farm

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged history, holidays, maps, nationality, Thanksgiving, travel | 6 Comments »

Veterans Day

November 11, 2013

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory”.

For all of us who enjoy liberty resulting from others’ sacrifices, everyday is Veteran’s Day – and Thank You.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Armistice Day, history, holidays, President Wilson, the 11th hour, Veterans Day | Leave a Comment »

What am I sappy cat blogging?

November 1, 2013

Happy Halloween from Simon’s Cat

Sappy Cat Bonus: Halloween Kitties

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged animals, cats, entertainment, Friday, Halloween, holidays, sappy cat blogging, whimsey | 4 Comments »

What am I celebrating today?

September 19, 2013

Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day! And I thank my friend, Art, for the reminder.

Here is an article from TIME that talks about the event. The story includes a very handy Pirate Name Generator.

For the rest of the day, you may refer to me as Capt. Angelina Firepants, or just stick with my true pirate name, Anne Bonney.

See:

Aaaarrrrrrr!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged holidays, pirates, talk like a pirate, whimsey | 4 Comments »

What am I celebrating today?

August 7, 2013

August 7, 2013 has been designated by the US Senate as National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day. Your can read the proclamation here.

From the American Lighthouse Council:

The past and future of lighthouses will be celebrated on August 7, 2013, now federally designated as National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day.

The designation came with the unanimous passage of a Senate resolution marking the date as the 224th anniversary of the federal government’s first public works act, the establishment of the Lighthouse Service as President George Washington signed the ninth act passed by the First Congress of the United States.

The resolution was submitted by Sens. Angus S. King Jr. and Susan Collins of Maine, using wording proposed by the American Lighthouse Council. In the House, Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo, NY, read the text into the Congressional Record.

I recommend for your lighthouse reading, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife, by Connie Small. I mentioned in a earlier post that I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Small a number of years ago, when she was on a book tour and was participating on a panel on successful aging (!) given for medical students. I found her to be charming. Mrs. Small passed away in 2005 at the successful age of 103.

She and her husband, Keeper Elson Small, lived at several offshore lighthouses in Maine between 1920 and 1946, including Lubec Channel Light (1920-1922), Avery Rock Light (1922-1926), Sequin Island Light (1926-1930), and St. Croix River Light (1930-1946). During this time the lighthouse keepers were all men, but their wives were very much partners in the enterprise.

The lighthouse pictured at the top of the post is Pemaquid Point. It is my favorite, but don’t go there. It’s mine.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American Lighthouse Council, history, holidays, lighthouse, Lighthouse Preservation Day, Maine, Pemaquid Point | 2 Comments »

What did we celebrate yesterday?

June 17, 2013

I know, I know . . . yesterday was Fathers Day and I mentioned that, but it was also . . .

Here is a story that ran on NPR about the holiday.

I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up, making fudge was a frequent activity for my friends and me. I remember making fudge one rainy afternoon with my best friend. We reached the point in the recipe where we were supposed to beat the fudge by hand until it was thick and smooth. We decided that it would be much easier to bring some external power to the process and wound up burning out the motor to her mother’s mixer. Oops.

I have not made fudge for years, but the last time I did, I turned to this tried and true and easy recipe from Eagle Brand:

Foolproof Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients

3 cups (18 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cups chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

LINE 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.
MELT chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
CHILL 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of foil. Cut into squares.
MICROWAVE METHOD
COMBINE chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in 1-quart glass measure. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 3 minutes or until chips are melted, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Proceed as above.
VARIATIONS
CREAMY DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE: MELT 2 cups miniature marshmallows with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Proceed as above.
MILK CHOCOLATE FUDGE: OMIT 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Proceed as above.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZED FUDGE: FOLLOW above recipe using 3/4 cup peanut butter chips instead of nuts. For glaze, melt 1/2 cup peanut butter chips with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Stir until thick and smooth. Spread over chilled fudge.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged candy, cooking, food, fudge, holidays, National Fudge Day, recipes | Leave a Comment »