February 18

It's national Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day.

Louis Comfort Tiffany was born today in 1848. Check out his art such as at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's beautiful site
http://store.metmuseum.org
...My husband and I got married in a church with lots of Tiffany glass and tiles. The most amazing, like-in-a-dream exhibit I ever saw was by Tiffany and his people at the Met. Just a couple of my many favorites:

I also suggest you check what the Metropolitan Museum of Art's gift shop is offering about and by him. I adore their book on him, and a lot of Christmas gifts I gave and received this past year featured his work.
http://store.metmuseum.org

February 17

What a wonderful idea -- some hotels, including the Lanesborough in London, have a tea sommelier!

February 16

I totally agree with what the architect Michael Hsu, in a November 2011 interview in Austin Monthly, said:

"Like a lot of people, my wife and I had kids because we thought we wanted children, but the reality of kids and how much joy they bring in life has completely shocked me."

Happy birthday, LeVar Burton! Thank you for your work!

It's national Almond Day.

February 15

Susan B Anthony was born today in 1820.

I've recently discovered a beautiful blog, and so far here is one of my favorite entries:
http://thedaintydollshouse.blogspot.com/2012/06/get-excited.html

February 14

Happy Valentine's Day! I think a wonderful thing to do today is to celebrate another holiday that's related I think in a funny way -- Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest play opened today in 1895.

Frederick Douglass was born today in 1818, and the hilarious Jack Benny in 1894.

And what a holiday in Middle Earth!
Galdalf Returns to Life

February 13

America's first periodical was published today in 1741: The American Magazine (A Monthly View of the Political State of the British Colonies) edited by Andrew Bradford, which only had 3 issues and included C-SPAN style proceedings of colonial assemblies and essays and reprints from The London Magazine.

George Simenon was born today in 1903; I don't like his off-color scenes, but I do love the pictures he paints of his chief police inspector Maigret's Paris.

It's national Tortellini Day.

February 12

Wow, two real heroes were born on the exact same day! Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin, both in 1809.

February 11

Thomas Alva Edison was born today in 1847.

It's high time for something sustaining, at least in my life!

I'd like to award my highest award to a character in Laura Childs' delightful Shades of Earl Grey mystery novel:

"Don't think ill of Delaine. It's just her way. Whenever there's a crisis, she dresses up for the part."

 

February 10

Happy birthday, Roberta Flack! Your songs are gorgeous!


Jimmy Durante was born today too, in 1893.

February 9

Happy birthday, Carole King!

February 8

Several of my favorite people were born today: Jules Verne in 1828; Seth Green in 1974; and John Ruskin in 1819. If you know French, you can read cool facsimiles of Jules Verne's novels online. Here's the beginning of one from
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5495022k.image.r=verne.f10.langEN

February 7

Charles Dickens was born today in 1812 and on his birthday in 1836 his Sketches by Boz was published, surely a wonderful gift to himself.

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born today in 1867.

It's Fettuccine Alfredo Day -- a favorite dish of a very favorite person of mine.

February 6

Today is national Nutella Day.

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Swiss Baked Eggs, simply eggs sprinkled with Swiss cheese and baked.

February 5

Today is national Chocolate Fondue Day!

February 4

Today in 1818, Keats, Shelley, and Leigh Hunt competed with each other to make the best sonnet about the Nile; Hunt won with

It flows through old hushed Egypt and its sands, 
Like some grave mighty thought threading a dream, 
And times and things, as in that vision, seem 
Keeping along it their eternal stands…

Today's national Stuffed Mushroom Day. My son-in-law makes my favorite of those...

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Russian Omelet, basically an omelet seasoned with shallots and caviar.

February 3

Norman Rockwell was born today in 1894.

It's national Carrot Cake Day -- one of my favorite desserts. My cookbooks are still not unpacked, but next year I'll see if I can post my favorite carrot cake recipe.

February 1

Here's a last sample from Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:

sushi
a cold mountain stream

I read some time back that the very sound of a stream can help with pain -- and found to my surprise and happiness that it was true for me. Different recordings of course are, well, different; I find most helpful an album actually called Healing Mountain Stream: Natural Pain Relief. I also like Joe Baker's Babbling Brook (in his Sounds of Nature series).

I enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow's site GOOP...perhaps you will too.
http://goop.com/

February 2

Mark Twain got married today in 1870.

January 31

Zane Grey was born today in 1872, and Jerome Kern in 1885. Mr. Grey is one of my dad's childhood favorites, and Dad took us to the Zane Grey museum in Ohio I think it was -- I must check if it still exists...

The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is Carolina Philpes which I've never heard of; here's their recipe:

"One gill of rice, boiled soft; when cold, rub it with a spoon. Moisten with water a gill of rice flour, and mix it with the rubbed rice. Beat 1 egg, very light, and stir in. Bake on a shallow tin plate, split and butter while hot."

January 30

The Library of Congress was re-established today in 1815 by acquiring Thomas Jefferson's 6,457-volume personal library (the original Library of Congress had tragically been destroyed in the War of 1812).

Barbara Tuchman was born today in 1912 in New York City.

It's national Croissant Day!

January 29

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:

relaxed mornings
friends visiting for the weekend
-- both of which often occur at the same time for me! We're making plans now for wonderful friends arriving in a couple weeks at our new home...

Today is National Puzzle Day!

January 28

John Thomson, photographer, was born today in 1909; he had a studio where now stands Raffles Hotel's Palm Court in Singapore. Here's a wonderful photograph by George P. Landow that gives a good idea of that place, from the fascinating site http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/singapore/4h.html .

On this same day in 1819 Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, arrived in Singapore, and there is of course a Sir Stamford Raffles Suite named after him in his namesake hotel. Next year, after our library is finally unpacked (it just arrived two days ago after a long soujourn since July in Asia and the Atlantic, and I have literally hundreds of boxes to unpack), I'll try to get a photo of that...

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
unloading the groceries
-- which I just did, with the happy help of our new resident kitty.

January 27

Lewis Carroll was born today in 1832, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1756.

January 26

Some of my favorite entertainers were born today: Mary Mapes Dodge of Hans Brinker fame in 1831; very appropriately Wayne Gretzky in 1961; and Anita Baker and Ellen DeGeneres on the same day in 1958. 

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
friendly old inns
a community of artists

It's national Pistachio Day!

January 25

Happy birthday to the amazing Etta James!

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
a day at the library
works of art in progress
Of course that calls for a Dreamy Library.

It's national Irish Coffee Day!

January 24

Happy national Peanut Butter Day!

January 23

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
historic villages

Greenfield Village near Detroit, Michigan, is a unique sort of historic village. I've enjoyed several days there as a child and as an adult.

 The very best place I've ever experienced or even heard of for staying near there is the Queen's Residence Bed and Breakfast. Aptly named and winner of a top award for such places, it is elegant and completely relaxing, complete with afternoon tea and homemade cookies and evening sherry.
http://www.queensresidence.com/index.html
The pictures just don't do it justice. It comes complete with an historic tavern in the basement, because a former owner was a buyer for Greenfield Village's historic buildings, and the same day he bought this little tavern Henry Ford bought a larger one, and Ford gave the smaller tavern to his buyer who had it reassembled in his basement.

January 22

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Spanish Cake, a light rose-flavored cake.

January 21

Happy birthday to Geena Davis! I love your movies!

Today in 1789 the first American novel was published; it was called The Power of Sympathy, or the Triumph of Nature by William Hill Brown.

Rather appropriately, today in 1952 William Shawn became the editor of the New Yorker (after Harold Ross).

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011: marathon game-playing night
I'm told my many uncles used to have these in their rich-though-poor childhoods...

It's national New England Clam Chowder Day.

January 20

Happy birthday to DeForest Kelley, born in 1920; George Burns was born today too, in 1896.

Today in 1961, Robert Frost read his poem "The Gift Outright" at JFK's inauguration.

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:

American diners

old-house enthusiasts 

It's national Cheese Lover's Day!

January 19

The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is Baked Beans and Tomato Salad: You have leftover baked beans (apparently plain ones); then you make a dressing (they call for 1 part vinegar, 2 parts oil, and some paprika), and stir some of it into the beans; then you place the dressed beans on a dish and surround them with tomato slices and then pour the rest of the dressing over everything.

For perhaps later in the day, one could celebrate national Popcorn Day!

January 18

AA Milne was born today in 1882, and another treasured children's author, Arthur Ransome, a couple years later, in 1884. And that wonderful father and children's entertainer Danny Kaye was born in 1913.

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:

seeing Paris
archaeological discoveries
climbing a hill
a library of field guides
rearranging a room 

She's somehow hit on many of my top favorites all in one day!

January 17

Happy birthday to Jim Carrey and to James Earl Jones! Benjamin Franklin was also born today, in 1706; and Eartha Kitt in 1927.

It's Hot Buttered Rum Day! How about combining it with the luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) -- homemade English Muffins – something else I thought was newer than 1902 in America.

January 16

The beautiful Pierre hotel in New York has a special arrangement for healing after surgery. As departures.com describes it, it is "a package that includes car service to and from the procedure, a private escort, someone to organize billing and registration before arrival, in-room spa treatments and a specialty menu designed by a nutritionist to encourage healing."

tajhotels.com/pierre

January 15

Martin Luther King Jr was born today.

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
talk and tea

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Norwegian Salad, consisting of lox, apples, potatoes, and gherkins, and seasoned with tarragon and chervil and shallots and vinegar and oil.

January 14

 

Pray to what earth does this sweet cold belong,
Which asks no duties and no conscience?
...Under the hedge, where drift banks are their screen,
The mice now pursue their downy dreams,
As often in the sweltering summer nights 
The bee doth drop asleep in the flower cup,
When evening overtakes him with his load.
       - Henry David Thoreau

Hugh Lofting was born today in 1886. He's the creator of Dr. Doolittle, and he wrote many more books about that charming man than I knew; from a site I've often found useful, http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/hugh-lofting/ :
1. The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920)
     aka Doctor Dolittle
2. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922)
     aka Doctor Dolittle and the Pirates
3. Doctor Dolittle's Post Office (1923)
4. Doctor Dolittle's Circus (1924)
5. Doctor Dolittle's Zoo (1925)
6. Doctor Dolittle's Caravan (1926)
7. Doctor Dolittle's Garden (1927)
8. Doctor Dolittle in the Moon (1928)
9. Gub Gub's Book (1932)
10. Doctor Dolittle's Return (1933)
11. Doctor Dolittle's Birthday Book (1936)
12. Dr Dolittle and the Secret Lake (1948)
13. Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary (1950)
14. Dr Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures (1952)

There's a cool site you might like, especially if you don't have an e-reader, where you can read books such as a couple Dr. Doolittles, a chapter at a time: http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/
Did you know this author of Dr. Doolittle was himself very intelligent -- he got an engineering degree from MIT!

January 13

 

We lay 
Stretched upon fragrant heath and lulled by sound 
Of far-off torrents charming the still night, 
To tired limbs and over-busy thoughts
Inviting sleep and soft forgetfulness.
     - William Wordsworth

January 12

John Singer-Sargent was born today in 1856.

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
talking by a fireplace

January 11

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
amazing bread
having a comfortable home
feeling rooted, centered

It's national Hot Toddy Day! The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is Corn Bread.

January 10

Happy birthday, Rod Stewart!

It's also Ray Bolger's birthday; he was born in 1904.

Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning started writing each other today in 1845.

Happy national Bittersweet Chocolate Day!

The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) sounds unseasonable but delicious: Coconut Ice Cream, where basically you make a coconut pudding and then freeze it. Maybe I'll try it without the freezing part (unless I'm visiting Australia?).

January 9

Adapted from Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, for us in the midst of winter:

The winter passed away in a round of pleasant duties and studies. For Anne the days slipped by like golden beads on the necklace of the year. She was happy, eager, interested; there were lessons to be learned and honor to be won; delightful books to read; new pieces of music to be practiced; pleasant weekend afternoons with a friend; and then, almost before Anne realized it, spring had come again to Green Gables and all the world was abloom once more.

Joan Baez was born today in 1941. What a great singer.

January 8

Happy birthday, Stephen Hawking! Frank Lloyd Wright was also born today, in 1867; and Wilkie Collins in 1824.
Here's a picture of one of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous houses, from http://www.wright-house.com/frank-lloyd-wright/fallingwater.html :

This is the day the Poetry Bookshop opened in London in 1913 where Robert Frost and Ezra Pound met each other.

The menu suggestion for a fancy dinner this week from 52 Sunday Dinners from 1913 is
Consomme with Egg Balls
Celery
Olives
•
Breaded Sea Bass with Sauce Tartare
Norwegian Potatoes (which include as seasonings anchovies, parsley, mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg)
Stewed Tomatoes
Cabbage Relish served on Lettuce (basically slaw)
•
Lemon Meringue Pie
Cheese
Café Noir (they suggest percolating it and serving it in "hot after-dinner coffee cups, with or without cut loaf sugar")

January 7

Happy birthday, Kenny Loggins! I have always adored your Winnie the Pooh song, of course!


It's also the day Charles Addams was born, in 1912 -- happy 100th! --

(I really enjoyed the first Addams Family movie too with witty writing and brilliant acting by Anjelica Huston...)

and also the wonderful writer and naturalist Gerald Durrell, in 1925.

From Barbara Ann Kipfer's 365 Days of Savoring: Things to Be Happy About in 2011:
the bliss of a real breakfast
wandering in little shops

The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is Orange Salad which sounds very modern: Slice oranges and place them on lettuce and dress them with olive oil and juice (they suggest lemon) and a little salt.