I Love Lucy 1950's TV commercial

It's Time!!

Hangmans House of Horrors "Thrill the World"

In 2009, Hangman’s House of Horrors will celebrate its 21st year as the top charity-benefiting haunted house in the nation! To date, the house has entertained over half a million victims and donated more than $1.6 million to local charities!

Hangman’s is located in Fort Worth, Texas.

Hangman’s has been recently featured on the Travel Channel’s “America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions,” a television special showcasing the nation’s top haunts. Additionally, Family Circle magazine named Hangman’s as one of the nation’s “Halloween Hot Spots!” Most recently, the house was voted “Best Place to get Spooked” by the readers of Fort Worth Magazine and named as a “Best of Fort Worth” tourist attraction by the U.S. Local Business Association.

On October 24th 2009 I went to the "Thrill the World" held at the Hangmans House of Horrors. They recreated the dance sequence of Michael Jackson's video "Thriller". This is an annual event synchronized and simultaneously recreated in several cities around the world. I hope you enjoy and Happy Halloween!!

The Apartment - Trailer

How about that spaghetti!

What I Really Know About Television: By Linda McCue, Mesa Arizona.

This is a really nice story.
While Granddad earned their living, Grandma raised eight children and rarely had pocket money. When Social Security started sending each of my grandparents a check, Grandma started keeping her own finances even though she wasn’t prepared to handle her cash flow. This started a division between my grandparents, but it was the argument over whether Grandma had paid Granddad back for the prescription medicine he had picked up for her that really split them apart. Granddad was so angry that he threw the drugs away. All communication between them ceased. A dread silence loomed over the household for months.

That Christmas, their eight adult children decided to buy them a television set. Theirs was the last household in our little village of Ray, Ill., to get a TV. The shiny box sat on a little stand atop one of Grandma’s doilies, waiting to perform magic.

Grandma and Granddad had to spend time together in front of that TV in the evenings. They had to work together to see that the rabbit ears were at just the right angle to get the best reception. They had to make sure the volume was set so both could hear properly. They would laugh together at the funny shows.

At breakfast, they began talking about what they saw the night before. Slowly, they were communicating again. I still believe that my grandparents would never have resumed talking if television hadn’t brought them back together.

Wheaties "Breakfast of Champions"

Wheaties Celebrates 85 Years
Fueling Champions since 1924, Wheaties Will Reveal Evolution in September

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Born out of a fortunate mistake in 1924, Wheaties was created when a health clinician accidentally spilled a wheat bran mixture onto a hot stove. The result was tasty, crispy wheat flakes that became known as Washburn’s Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes. A year later, the cumbersome name was shortened to Wheaties. Since this humble beginning, the whole-grain cereal has fueled champions and honored some of the greatest athletes of all time, including Walter Payton, Mary Lou Retton, Bruce Jenner, Bob Richards, and many others. After 85 years, The Breakfast of Champions is an American icon as athletes, sportscasters and consumers across the country continue to assert “Better Eat Your Wheaties” for championship performance.

To commemorate its 85th anniversary, the legendary “Breakfast of Champions” releases a special anniversary box that draws upon the cereal’s past, while looking to its future. The box features the iconic Wheaties logo and “Breakfast of Champions” slogan, but in a nod of what’s to come, the box showcases five athletes’ silhouettes, with the question “What’s Next?” written boldly right on the front of the package. The back of the box shows the date 09/09/09 – marking the timing of the Wheaties evolution with a new tagline that reads “Fuel. Win. Evolve.”

“Wheaties is an iconic American brand, synonymous with championship performance,” said Dan Stangler, marketing manager for Wheaties. “We have enjoyed 85 years of excellence and look forward to kicking off the next 85 years strong, with exciting news about the brand’s evolution.”

Wheaties first teamed up with athletes and the world of sports in 1933 with sponsorships of minor league baseball broadcasts. In fact, it was as part of a sponsored broadcast deal with the minor league Minneapolis Millers, that General Mills posted a signboard on the left field wall at Nicollet Park in south Minneapolis revealing the cereal’s new advertising slogan: “Wheaties—The Breakfast of Champions.” From that inauspicious beginning, Wheaties’ heritage has included many of the greatest athletes, celebrating many of the greatest athletic achievements of all time. Baseball legend Lou Gehrig was the first athlete featured on a Wheaties Box, when he appeared on the back cover in 1934. In 1958, American champion pole-vaulter Bob Richards was the first person to appear on the front of the package, jumpstarting the phenomenon of “being on the Wheaties box.”

The Minnesota Twins were the first team to appear on the front of the box in 1987, and it was the Chicago Bulls’ championship in 1992 that Wheaties first celebrated in a different way with a red and black box. In all, more than 50 teams have made appearances on the Wheaties box.

While Wheaties has recognized champion athletes for generations, the brand itself has also made history. Wheaties is credited with the first singing radio commercial, “Have You Tried Wheaties,” crooned by the Wheaties Quartet in the mid-1920s. On August 29, 1939, Wheaties sponsored the first televised commercial sports broadcast of a baseball game for some 500 owners of television sets in New York City.

Northern Tissue "American Beauties" 1958

Northern introduces American Beauties in its advertisements. The portraits of young children, by artist Frances Hook, appeared on packages the following year (1958) and become synonymous with Northern Tissue.

The History of Ivory Soap

Fascinating facts about the invention of
Ivory Soap by William Procter in 1879. IVORY SOAP®

Ivory Soap is 99 44/100 percent pure .... and it FLOATS!

Did it take years of experimenting to get that soap to float? Not exactly. Ivory Soap floated by accident. For years the Procter & Gamble company had been developing a formula for a high quality soap at an affordable price. In January 1878, they finally perfected the formula. They called it simply "White Soap," and began production. Several months later the accident occurred.

A large batch of White Soap was mixing when a workman at the factory went to lunch and left the machinery running. When he returned, he found that air had been worked into the mixture. he decided not to discard the batch of soap because of such a small error, and he poured the soap into the frames. The soap hardened and it was cut, packaged, and shipped.
A few weeks later, letters began arriving at Procter & Gamble asking for more of the soap that floated. The workman's error had turned into a selling point! Harley Procter came up with the name "Ivory" while listening to a bible reading at church one morning in 1879.

Simon's Cat 'Fly Guy'

I hate Flys!! Good kitty.

Grilled Jerk Chicken

Photo by Rick Waldroup

For jerk marinade
3 scallions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 to 5 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For chicken
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (3 lb), halved crosswise
2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks


Accompaniment: papaya salsa



PreparationMake marinade:
Blend all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Marinate and grill chicken:
Divide chicken pieces and marinade between 2 sealable plastic bags. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, then turn bags over several times to distribute marinade. Put bags of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice, 1 day.

Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.

To cook chicken using a charcoal grill:
Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney of charcoal briquettes (about 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal).

When charcoal turns grayish white and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken in batches on lightly oiled rack over coals until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Move chicken as seared to side of grill with no coals underneath, then cook, covered with lid, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more.

To cook chicken using a gas grill:
Preheat burners on high, then adjust heat to moderate. Cook chicken until well browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust heat to low and cook chicken, covered with lid, until cooked through, about 25 minutes more.

Serve chicken with salsa.

Good-bye Twin Towers

We will never forget you and the families. God Bless America.

Zucchini Bread

I love Zucchini Bread. Here is an easy recipe for one of my favorite sweet breads.
Ingredients: 3 cups chopped zucchini, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 4 eggs, 3 cups flour, 1 1/2tsp. cinnamon, 2tsp. baking powder, 2tsp. baking soda, 1 1/2tsp. salt, 1 cup chopped pecans(opt.)
Mix dry ingredients separately. Fold into wet ingredients. Mix well. Lightly grease 2 medium size loaf pans. Pour batter into the 2 pans. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for approx. 25 min. Use the toothpick test. If it comes out clean when stuck in the middle of the loaf than it is done. You could also pour into muffin pans. I hope you will enjoy this recipe.

Edward Kennedy Memorial Service - Caroline Kennedy

I remember her as a baby at her fathers funeral. What a wonderful Memorial for Ted Kennedy. A lot of friends that will always care all over the world. The Angels Are With You.

Eulogy of Bobby Kennedy

Ted Kennedy- A Dream Unfullfilled

I Love Lucy "Pioneer Women"

Make sure you measure exact!!

Whole Wheat-Honey Bread

This recipe will make one loaf of wonderful Honey Wheat Bread.
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all -purpose flour, divided., 1 &1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 package fast-rising yeast, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup honey, 2 tblsp. margarine, 1 egg white, 1 tbls. cold water.
Combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Heat milk, water, honey, and margarine to 130 degrees, or until hot to the touch. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir well. Add remaining flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. Knead until springy, about 5 minutes. Roll out to an 8 x 15 inch rectangle. From the long side, roll into a half loaf. Pinch the seam of loaf to secuely close; place on a baking sheet. Cover loaf with a dish towel. Let it rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine egg white and cold water in a small bowl with a fork. With a serrated knife, make 4 diagonal slashes in top of loaf. Brush egg white mixture over loaf. Bake about 25 minutes. Serve with some honey butter. Yummy!