Herald Square

I’ve been to New York City several times. I’ve seen the world from atop the Empire State Building, and from the crown of the Statue of Liberty. I watched the World Trade Center Towers been built. But I’ve never seen a Broadway play. If I was in New York City right now, I could catch Wicked, The Lion King, or Mary Poppins. I could see The Addams Family, Mamma Mia or Godspell. There’s even a musical version of Spider-Man playing on Broadway right now. The one show I’m not the least bit interested in is the one named for a set of scriptures. Written by a duo more famous for their television cartoon featuring foul-mouthed children, this very popular bit of vulgarity doesn’t appeal to me at all. When did it become so acceptable (not to mention lucrative) to drag other peoples’ beliefs through the mud?

Chickadee

Today is Chicken Soup for the Soul Day. The day was created by the same people who gave us the series of books by that name. These inspirational short stories and essays are meant to enrich your spirit the way this recipe enriches your body:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 cups chicken broth       
2 cups water
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
Tortilla chips, crushed
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese

Place chicken and water in pot, bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, about 12 minutes. Remove chicken from water and allow to cool. Add vegetables and broth to water and simmer, uncovered 10 minutes. Shred chicken between two forks and add to pot. When chicken has reheated, add lime juice. Serve garnished with avocado, chips, sour cream and cheese.

Illinois Roads

Yes, I know it’s Veteran’s Day. But today is also the birthday of Route 66, the most famous road in the world. (Give me a break. Does the Autobahn have its own song?) Route 66 was officially established November 11, 1926. Though it was removed from the United States highway system June 27, 1985, you can still drive much of it. Riding the “Mother Road” has been on my bucket list since high school. I imagine tooling from Chicago to L.A. in a Mustang or a Cadillac convertible, with my favorite traveling music blaring from the speakers. I’d visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the memorial where the Alfred P. Murrah building stood in Oklahoma City. I’d see the meteor crater near Flagstaff and the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Of course I’d finish the trip with a stop at Disneyland. Who wouldn't?

Double X

Until November 10 1951 if you lived in New York and wanted to call someone in California, you couldn’t place that call yourself. You’d dial “0” and ask the telephone operator to place the call for you. We are so familiar with Direct Distance Dialing - DDD - that we don’t call it that anymore. We don’t call it anything anymore. This is also the birthday of the PBS television show Sesame Street. Before its debut on November 10 1969, there had never been anything quite like it. Can you picture a world without Bert and Ernie? Without Big Bird or Mister Snuffleupagus? Or without Elmo or Oscar the Grouch? You’d have to be pretty old to remember a time before you heard the songs, “Rubber Ducky,”  “One of These Things is Not Like the Others” or “Sunny Day, Chasing the Clouds Away.” Gee. You’d have to be my age.

Chinese Hat

Ancient Chinese were familiar with giant pandas. They considered them rare and noble beasts. Though the Chinese found (or imagined) hundreds of medicinal uses for other animals, there were relatively few uses for panda parts. Pandas were unknown to the western world until the 20th century. Until a giant panda was captured November 9, 1927, the animal was considered either extinct or a myth. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. and his son Kermit were the first westerners to shoot a panda on an expedition in China. It might strike a child of the 21st century as odd that the son and grandson of the famous conservationist president would deliberately kill an endangered animal. But a hundred years ago this is what conservation meant; they would shoot an animal and have it mounted and displayed for future generations to observe.

Montana

Montana was the forty-first state admitted to the Union November 8, 1889. Its nicknames are “Big Sky Country” and “The Treasure State.” Montana is a great place to avoid during the winter months. I was there briefly on a concert tour in January in the late 70's. One of the locals told me it only snows once a year in Montana. The rest of the winter they just recycle the snow. It sounded like one of those fables people tell tourists. But watching the bitter cold wind stripping fields bare of their snow drifts and piling it several feet deep in the highway, I began to wonder if he wasn’t telling the truth. Today is also Election Day. No matter which state you call home, a lot of people gave their lives so you’d have the right to vote. Time to stand up and be counted!

Broken Star

Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day. I don’t need an excuse to eat dark chocolate or almonds, but if you’re the sort of person who does, read on. Chocolate is full of antioxidants. Antioxidants can inhibit oxidation and the production of free radicals. That’s a fancy way to say eating more chocolate will keep you young. And since dark chocolate has more antioxidants and less fat and sugar, it’s an even better choice. Almonds are also a healthy snack because they’re high in monounsaturated fats, which are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease. The other day I ran across a book by Janet Jones Worley called “Quilts for Chocolate Lovers.” It was filled with quilt patterns with yummy names like, “Black Forest” and “Bridge Mix.” A creative hobby like quilting can bring down your blood pressure and increase your sense of well-being. What could be healthier than quilting while eating chocolate and almonds?