Thursday, November 27, 2014

THANKSGIVING GREETING ON A POSTCARD

My sincere wishes that you have a warm, happy and healthy Thanksgiving.  Today, as everyday, find and appreciate the wonderful things in your life.


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

COMETS - NOW AND PAST

We have been fortunate in our lifetimes to witness the amazing feat of the Rosetta Mission.  On November 12, after ten years and a 6.4 billion mile journey, a washing machine-sized probe called “Philae” landed on a moving comet.  This is a first in many ways, but most obviously is the fact that this is the first time humans have soft-landed a probe on a comet.

Comets have been observed by humans since millennia, and their significance or meaning has been debated throughout times.  In 1910, Halley’s Comet passed particularly close to the Earth.  In fact, for six hours on May 19, Earth’s orbit carried it through the end of the comet’s 24-million-mile-long tail.  Yellow journalists of the day used this to spread fears of the end of the world.  In all events, this was a very “big deal” for the times.   As an aside, in 1909 Mark Twain said "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835.  It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."  Twain died on April 21, 1910, one day after Halley's comet appeared.

This postcard, postmarked in England on October 24, 1910, refers to the fact that the comet, in the form of a bird with a long tail, has finally arrived.  Notice the look of fear on the dog’s face. 


Halley's Comet most recently appeared in 1986, and it is expected to appear again in 2061 (about every 75 years).   It's interesting to think about what will be known about comets, and what will be known about the universe, by then!


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS

Ray Villafane sculpts pumpkins.  Perhaps you've seen some of them as they arrive in your email box from friends.   Check out more of his carvings on his Facebook page.

Villafane is an American artist based in Arizona.   According to Wikipedia:  "In 2007 Villafane was contacted by High Noon Entertainment and asked to participate in the Food Network's Challenge Show for a segment called "Outrageous Pumpkins". He competed against three other professional pumpkin sculptors and won all three rounds to receive the grand prize.  The Food Network contacted Villafane again in 2009 to come back to the show and defend his title. He was also the grand prize winner for the "Outrageous Pumpkin Challenge II".  In 2011, he carved the world's biggest pumpkin to resemble zombies.  He also provided pumpkins for Heidi Klum's annual Halloween party in Sin City in 2011."

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Friday, November 7, 2014

APPLE-PECAN CAKE

Time to use up some apples!  Our apple trees had a good year and I want to be baking every day!  The only trouble is that I am the one in this household who eats the sweets.  Oh well... this is a task that I can handle!



I am always looking for relatively simple recipes that use up a lot of apples at one time.  The recipe I made today fits both those requirements.

APPLE-PECAN CAKE
*  3 large eggs
*  2 cups sugar
*  1 cup oil (I used olive oil.)
*  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*  2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*  1 teaspoon baking soda
*  1 teaspoon salt
*  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*  1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
*  4 cups peeled and chopped apple
*  1 cup chopped pecans
Beat the eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale.  Gradually add sugar, beating until blended.  Add oil and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to beaten mixture, stirring until blended.  Stir in apple and pecans.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or bundt pan.  Bake at 350ยบ for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.  

Source:  Southern Living 1992.

Just a little mess!

Ready to go in the oven.

A long baking time - 1-3/4 hours!

Cooling on a wire rack.

A simple dusting with powdered sugar.
As soon as the cake was cool enough to eat, I had my first piece.  Conclusion... very good BUT it will be even better with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.  Next time....

Saturday, November 1, 2014

MAPS ON VINTAGE POSTCARDS - MINNESOTA

This weekend the Twin City Postcard Club is holding its semiannual postcard show and sale.  As I've mentioned previously, I was a member of the Club for many years, and I still love my thousands of antique/vintage postcards.  My love of travel is reflected in my collection of map postcards, a few of which I will share with you here.

This first postcard is a "real photo" postcard showing a map of the United States in 1968, and highlighting the states voting for Nixon, Humphrey and Wallace.  You will notice that Minnesota is shown as supporting Humphrey, which is no surprise given that Hubert H. Humphrey represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate for two terms.  He also served as Vice President under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965 to 1969, and, as shown in this postcard, was the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 1968 presidential election, which he lost to the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon.


The following "Greetings from Minnesota" postcard is a cartoon showing some of the things Minnesota was known for in the early 1900's - particularly farming.  On the back of the card it states:  "Minnesota - area 84,682 sq. miles, of which 3,824 sq. miles is water; 10,000 lakes; 11th state in size; admitted to the Union in 1858.  State flower:  Moccasin Flower.  Capital - St. Paul."


The next map card of Minnesota was mailed in 1909.  On the face of the card is the Seal of Minnesota with the moniker "L'Etoile du Nord" or "Star of the North".


Early in its history the State also adopted the moniker "gopher" which is the mascot of the University of Minnesota sports teams.  The following postcard, mailed in 1908, shows Minnesota industries of Spring Wheat, Iron Ore, Dairying and Salt.  The population at the time is shown as 1,751,394.


It has been interesting living in the land of 10,000 lakes.  Summer cabins, trips to the lake, and visits to friends' cabins continue to this day for most of us.  In the Twin City Metro Area, Lake Minnetonka is well known as one of the most affluent areas.  A fun summer activity is taking a boat ride around the lake, looking at the numerous mansions owned by Minnesota's rich and famous.  As an aside, Lake Minnetonka postcards are much sought after.  This postcard states that Lake Minnetonka is 20 miles long and 4 miles wide, with a shore line of over 300 miles.


Resulting from its glacial past, these lakes offer a wide range of activities including fishing, swimming, boating and, as shown in the following postcard, canoeing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.


Just west of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area is Voyagers National Park.  The name "Voyagers" (French for "traveler") reflects the early history of the area as a large fur trading route of early French entrepreneurs.  The Park, established in 1975, is not shown in this U.S. Map of National Parks in 1966, the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service.  Here's an interesting side note:  The rocks at Voyagers National Park are older than those found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon!


Itasca State Park in northwestern Minnesota is the headwaters of the Mississippi River which runs south through the continental U.S. and into the Gulf of Mexico.



Many of us remember "Mark Twain" (nom de plume of Samuel L. Clemens)  and his tales of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.  This postcard is identified as the "Mark Twain Literary Map" in the Mark Twain Hotel Lobby in Hannibal, Missouri.


I hope you have enjoyed this little travelogue, via postcards, of Minnesota.