MAY 13, 24 (1/2) .. NATIONAL TODAY.. UPS DANNY Z – 48073.. NICE ANCHORAGE WEATHER..

By Cap Chastain May 13, 2024 Danny Z - 48073, Guest Contributor(s) No Comments

NATIONAL TODAY..

Patti and I are having fun with this category. We hope some of you are as well.

19 Holidays are listed for today.

Many of them are of interest to us. 

NATIONAL APPLE PIE DAY, NATIONAL FRUIT COCKTAIL DAY, NATIONAL CROUTON DAY, NATIONAL LEPRECHAUN DAY, TULIP DAY.

But we think two per Post is enough!

INTERNATIONAL HUMMUS DAY.. Because Winter, Summer, Spring, and Fall, I eat two servings of hummus each day, I personally found this of interest. Odd that it was number one at the top of the list for today, May the 13th.

The first International Hummus Day was in 2012 and our taste buds have been celebrating ever since.

Seeing as May 13 is International Hummus Day, we have no choice but to celebrate the intoxicatingly delicious concoction of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic – otherwise known as hummus. From whipping up a batch of your own custom-flavored red pepper hummus to spreading some store-bought dessert hummus on a cookie, there are endless ways to celebrate. We hear that there’s even some magical thing called a hummus festival – we’re not missing that! Hummus has been around for centuries and remains one of the most versatile and healthy staples in many diets. Today, we celebrate hummus for all that provides our diet and culture, as well as how we can all agree – it’s nature’s perfect food.

The origin of hummus is cloudy and hotly contested. Though we know it originated in the Middle East, many regions around the Eastern crescent of the Mediterranean claim to be the one true originator of the delectable spread. The first real mention of hummus in a cookbook was found in 13th century Cairo, where it appears as merely a cold chickpea puree, and notably lacks lemon juice and garlic – including instead pickled lemons with oil, herbs, and spices. It still sounds pretty good to us.

Hummus remained a huge staple in the diet of many living in the Middle East, where chickpeas flourish. In fact, the word “hummus” is rooted in the Arabic word for “chickpea”! Though there is some debate over whether or not the Greeks also invented hummus, most believe that it spread between Greek and Middle Eastern traders, along with popular delicacies like baklava and stuffed grape leaves. It’s known for this reason as one of the greatest crossover foods.

It’s also the national dish for many countries in the Middle East. It’s a cultural phenomenon as much as a culinary one, and nations stick up for their claim to hummus. For example, in 2008 Lebanon tried to sue Israel for “stealing” hummus! After that, the two strove to set the record for the largest plate of hummus. For all its long-lasting popularity in the Middle East and Southern Europe, it may surprise you to learn that the first British grocery store to stock hummus only did so in 1980. Unsurprisingly, however, it quickly became a great hit in the UK, largely for its health benefits.

Hummus definitely had a fashionably late arrival to the U.S. While 20 years ago, most Americans probably couldn’t even pronounce the name of the dish, and annual sales barely topped $5 million, today it is found in most grocery stores and considered a staple in many American households. While in the Middle East, hummus is increasingly considered a somewhat routine and middle-class meal, Americans are falling for the brownish spread – hard. It’s estimated that more than a quarter of U.S. households have hummus in the fridge right this second.

OUR HUMMUS.

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COUGH DROP DAY..

This Holiday is of special interest to Patti. We purchase sugar-free cough drops in the bulk at COSTCO, and Patti has them close to her during the day and night to help with her chronic cough as well as the pneumonia she is dealing with currently.

Odd they call them addictive. 

Cough Drop Day is observed annually on May 13. In existence since around 1000 B.C, cough drops are small, medicated tablets intended to soothe a sore or irritated throat. In the 19th century in the United States, physicians commenced adding questionable ingredients to their cough drop formulas. Thankfully, this was soon phased out. Today, cough drops are often candy-like, with a sweet taste derived from the sweetening agents included in most products. One can even access various recipes from the internet with ingredients from pears to cinnamon and ginger.

The history of Cough Drop Day is largely unknown. Also known as a throat lozenge, a cough drop is a small, medicated tablet intended to soothe a sore or irritated throat. It is usually taken when a person is displaying symptoms of a common cold or influenza. The cough drops are meant to temporarily stop the coughs, and soothe and lubricate the tissues of the throat. Cough drops are typically candy-like in taste.

Originally, most cough drops were shaped like diamonds, as the name ‘lozenge’ is derived from the French ‘losange’ which translates to ‘rhombus.’ The use of candies to soothe throat irritations is said to have begun as far back as 1000 B.C during Egypt’s ‘20th Dynasty.’ At the time, these ancient cough drops were made from honey, flavored with herbs, citrus, and spices. In the 19th century, physicians began using morphine, formaldehyde, and heroin, which they discovered could suppress the cough at the source, which is the brain.

However, these ingredients were considered harmful because of the risk that they might lead to a dependence on opioids. In fact, lozenge manufacturers made it a habit to specify that their lozenges were free of opioids. In 1892, a Keatings Cough Lozenges ad included the statement, “They are invaluable. They contain no opium nor any violent drug.” In 1881, William Luden made history by creating the first menthol cough drops. In 1879, he began as a candy manufacturer, making his products in his family’s small kitchen at the back of his father’s jewelry shop in Pennsylvania. Later, he collaborated with a pharmacist to invent a cough drop formula, which they colored amber.

Luden’s Menthol Cough Drops contained honey, licorice, and menthol and were sold for many years in five-cent packages. Luden is an example of the many cough drop manufacturers that started as candy-makers, confectioners, and bakers. Other examples of such brands include HALLS, Mentho-Lyptus, the Smith Brothers’ Cough Drops, and Ricola.

It is best to follow the dosage instructions put on the label, as cough drops are still medication. Two per two hours are a good recommendation.

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UPS DANNY  Z – 48073

On May the 9th this year, we published the below photo, taken at the Seattle, Washington, International Airport just for UPS Danny Z.

In response Danny sent us a text with the below photos of his former UPS truck (The Beast) and the truck he was driving when he retired (The Beast Replacement Vehicle). In his text Danny said the two trucks were jealous they did not have their photos shown here on dotnet.

 THE BEAST, Danny’s truck for many years.

THE BEAST REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, when THE BEAST was taken out of service, THE BEAST REPLACEMENT VEHICLE became Danny’s truck.

How about the below precious photos we showed on NOV 15, 23, of Danny and young Patrick on Danny’s former UPS Route.

Danny Z, a close friend since October of 1988.

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FINALLY .. A NICE DAY HERE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA.

Cool, yes in the 40’s but the Sun was out!

Enough huh?

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Cap and Patti.. 

Patti is not getting the relief she was hoping for after visiting our local Emergency Room last Thursday for a very disturbing cough and fatigue. She finished her prednisone yesterday Sunday and will continue her anti-biotic for four more days.

MAY 12, 24 .. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ONE AND TO ALL MOTHERS!

By Cap Chastain May 12, 2024 Mother's Day 2 Comments

Can anyone guess what the top, number one, National Holiday is today?

MOTHER’S DAY 2024

Remember when the Peace Corps adopted the slogan “The toughest job you’ll ever love”? No offense, Peace Corps, but that adage is more appropriate for motherhood — a job that is ever-changing and frequently exasperating. Moms don’t get days off, nor do they receive handsome salaries or generous pensions. Instead, their rewards come in the form of sticky kisses, necklaces made of elbow macaroni, and the satisfaction of seeing their children grow up to be happy, healthy adults. That’s probably not adequate compensation — so give Mom an extra hug or a special gift on Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, just in case, and follow our guide to giving back.

Celebrations go back to ancient times when Greeks and Romans held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. However, the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday stands as the modern precursor. This European tradition fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Many believed the faithful would return on this day to their “mother church”— the main church near their home — for a special service. The Mothering Sunday tradition shifted over time into a more secular holiday where children would give their mothers flowers and other gifts. This custom would blend into the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.

American author and poet Julia Ward Howe, who wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” became the editor of Woman’s Journal, a widely-read suffragist magazine, in 1872. During that time, she wrote an “Appeal to womanhood throughout the world,” which would become known as the Mother’s Day Proclamation. The document asked women to fight for world peace following both the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. Howe then launched a failed attempted to start a “Mother’s Day” celebration on June 2. Two decades later Howe suggested a Mother’s Day celebration every July 4. This also failed to take hold, but set the stage for a future attempt.

Anna Jarvis successfully initiated Mother’s Day after her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died in 1905. Jarvis noted that Mother’s Day should contain a “singular possessive,” (hence the apostrophe) so each family might honor its own mother — as opposed to all mothers. Jarvis, who neither married nor had children, organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration in May 1908. A Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker lent his financial support to the cause. That same month thousands of people attended a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s stores.

Jarvis soon lobbied to make Mother’s Day a national holiday — urging prominent Americans to join the effort. By 1912 many states, towns, and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual event. Jarvis also started the Mother’s Day International Association. President Wilson would soon establish the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914. Hallmark began selling Mother’s Day cards in the early 1920s.

Now the below is something!

Jarvis’ love affair with the holiday she worked so hard to start did not last, and she eventually grew to resent its commercial appeal. As florists and greeting card companies began to cash in, she soured on the idea of a national day — urging people to stop buying flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis spent most of her personal wealth hiring attorneys to file lawsuits against groups using the term “Mother’s Day.” She even tried to persuade the federal government to remove it from the calendar.

So there you have some background on Mother’s Day.

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Patti and I wish and hope that..

All mother’s have a happy and joyous Mother’s Day, today, May 12th, 2024.