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The story goes that as Benjamin Franklin emerged from Independence Hall at the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787, a woman asked him, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”.
Mr. Franklin replied, “A republic, madam – if you can keep it.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, in looking over the events of the past few months, I would submit to you that Mr. Franklin’s Republic is still intact.
Yeah – we’ve been waiting.
We just want to take this opportunity to remind our friends on the other side of the aisle to enjoy the next 48 hours – Tuesday will be here before you know it….
Love,
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Just ask my family – I’m one of the original “Fanilows“, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’ve been hooked ever since I heard “Mandy” on the radio in 1974 (what can I say? Other girls my age went gaga for Donny Osmond – Barry’s always been “my” guy).
“When October Goes” is one of my absolute favorite Barry Manilow songs. I first heard this song on his amazing “2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe” album*** – I managed to wear out the cassette tape from rewinding it to hear this song over and over and over…..
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Have a great day –
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***”When October Goes” is available in CD and MP3 formats – there are lots of good songs on the album (including duets with Sarah Vaughan and the “Velvet Fog”, Mel Torme).
I love Halloween – it’s the only night of the year when you are allowed to wear a costume without being in a play:
I’ll be rocking this “Maleficent” costume tonight…
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Something pretty for an October day:
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This beautiful arrangement of Towles van Zandt’s original is from Lyle Lovett’s “Step Inside This House” album (available in CD or MP3 format).
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Yes, Virginia, there IS a “Mother-In-Law Day” – who knew?
It seems that since 1934, the fourth Sunday in October has been designated as the day when we honor the women who have been the target of a lot of good-natured ribbing through the years.
Paul and I are both lucky – we have great mothers-in-law, and we love them very, very much.
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With Halloween only a week away, I thought it would be fun to post a recipe for Caramel Corn. I got this recipe from an old booklet that’s been in my kitchen for over 30 years – it’s so old, in fact, that it pre-dates microwave popcorn….
This recipe reminds me of Cracker Jack – but there’s a lot more to go around 😛
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(For a pictoral walk-through, Joe Pastry has a fantastic tutorial at his site – his method is slightly different from this recipe, but it’s a great reference!)
5 qt. popped corn
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. toasted nuts (optional) – salted Spanish peanuts work well
Preheat oven to 250F.
Combine butter, sugar, syrup, and salt in 2-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Stir until sugar dissolves, then continue to boil/stir to firm ball stage (248F).
Remove from heat and stir in soda (mixture will foam up).
Pour hot syrup over popped corn and nuts, stirring to combine well.
Pour out onto baking sheets; bake in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
Cool thoroughly and store in airtight containers in cool place.
Makes about 5 quarts.
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It was 28 years ago today that our lives changed in the space of an instant. One second we were a couple, and the next we were a family. It still never ceases to amaze me how seamlessly that transition occurred, and how it felt like things had always been that way.
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If you ever have a stressful day, this tune is a wonderful tonic…
This is a lovely arrangement of Claude Debussy’s hauntingly beautiful “Claire de Lune” performed on a 10-string guitar – I heard a version of this on the “Falling Skies” episode titled “Young Bloods”. I don’t know if this is the one that was used in the show***, but it’s close enough.
I have only ever heard this done as a piano solo or in a symphonic setting, so this was quite a treat:
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Continue reading
My friend Bob passed these along a while back (go pee first….):
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Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays 😦 , so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get yourself some of that yummy goodness (it’s worth the wait…).
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The Fat Lady Has Sung
Koch's Tour 