Illinois

 

When he was born in 1969, his parents named him Sheldon Bergson. He’s described as a “Canadian politician” and “perennial candidate.” While he was a university student, he ran in the federal election as a candidate for the National Party of Canada, which, in spite of its name, lasted less than four years. He received 1% of the vote. Before the February 2016 election, he paid a judge $137 to legally change his name. Sheldon is now Above Znoneofthe. (The Z is silent.) Because candidates’ names are listed alphabetically, with surnames first, every time he appears on a ballot, it will be at the very bottom and be pronounced, “None of the Above.” Most of the articles I’ve found about him only share these few points. But I can infer more: the candidate formerly known as Sheldon is creative, has a good sense of humor, and is probably unmarried. Who’d want to be known as Mrs. Znoneofthe?

Jewel Box

 

Five years ago I posted a recipe for Tuna Noodle Casserole that doesn’t call for canned soup https://mombowe.blogspot.com/2016/11/fish-platter.html. It’s delicious, and well worth the effort. But if you’re pressed for time or don’t have Dijon and Monterey Jack on hand, this will do:

 

Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole

 

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons chopped pimiento (Optional, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.)

1 cup peas

2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna, drained

2 cups cooked egg noodles (Other pasta varieties work, too.)

2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl; gently toss. Transfer to a covered baking dish and bake 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over casserole and continue baking about five minutes, until top is golden brown.

Forever Stars

 

“The scriptures speak of a rich young ruler who ran to Jesus and with genuine sincerity asked, ‘What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ After reviewing a list of commandments this fellow had faithfully kept, Jesus told the man to sell all his belongings, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Him. The boldness of this directive caused the young ruler—in spite of his expensive sandals—to get cold feet. He went away sorrowing because, the scripture says, ‘he had great possessions.’ Obviously, this is an important cautionary tale about the uses of wealth and the needs of the poor. But ultimately it is a story about wholehearted, unreserved devotion to divine responsibility. With or without riches, each of us is to come to Christ with the same uncompromised commitment to His gospel that was expected of this young man. In the vernacular of today’s youth, we are to declare ourselves all in.” - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Duck and Ducklings

 

At least once a week, I get to do a sing-along with people who are in their eighties and nineties. There are even a handful of centenarians who cheerfully chime in. What do we sing? “It’s a Good Day” and “I Love Being Here with You” by Peggy Lee; “Bye-Bye Blackbird,” “Has Anybody Seen My Girl?” and “Button Up Your Overcoat” by Ray Henderson; and “Three Coins in the Fountain” and “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” by Sammy Cahn. We sing a lot of “Accentuate the Positive,” “Pennies from Heaven,” and “Catch a Falling Star.” We also cover a slew of Broadway show tunes, especially Rogers and Hammerstein’s. The lyrics are upbeat, and the rhythm gets everyone’s toes tapping. In a couple of weeks, we’ll add “Chestnuts Roasting,” “Home for the Holidays” and “Jingle Bell Rock” into the mix. Because even when you’re ninety-something (maybe especially when you’re ninety-something), it’s important to have something to look forward to.

Four Floating Stars

 

Swedish Meatballs

 

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup panko-style bread crumbs

1 tablespoon parsley chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup onion finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups beef stock

1 cup cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon Dijon

 

In a large bowl combine ground beef, crumbs, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Blend well. Roll into about 16 meatballs. Brown in a large skillet with oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove meatballs to a plate; cover. Add remaining butter and flour; whisk until sauce begins to brown. Stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add Worcestershire and Dijon. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken. Return meatballs to pan. Serve warm over egg noodles, rice or potatoes. We like ours with fingerlings, green beans and lingonberry sauce.

Turley's Inn

 

Many American holidays wander around the calendar. President’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are always on Mondays, so their exact dates are different every year. It’s the same with Thanksgiving (on Thursdays), and Mother’s and Father’s Days (on Sundays). Easter – always on a Sunday – is sometimes in April and sometimes in March. But Veterans Day (notice there’s no apostrophe before the S) is always November 11, regardless of the day of the week when it occurs. That’s because it marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities were formally ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. In case you were wondering, Memorial Day honors those who died in military service. Armed Forces Day is to celebrate those currently serving. And Veterans Day pays homage to anyone who has served in the military.

Floating Star

 

Sesame Street was first aired on November 10, 1969. The show’s target audience was preschoolers – ages three to five. I didn’t quite fit into that demographic, but my sisters and our brother did. I’ve probably seen every episode between 1969 and 1976. It was still running when my own children were old enough to appreciate it, so the Sunny Day theme song was a familiar sound in our house during the 80’s and early 90’s. We were all fascinated by the Sesame Street Muppets: Oscar the Grouch, who lived in a trash can; Cookie Monster, who lost all control at the sight of chocolate chips; Count von Count, who made numbers sound like so much fun; Elmo, who’s been three years old for four decades now; and Big Bird, who stole all our hearts with only one working hand. The show aired on PBS until 2015. My three-year-old granddaughter can catch it today on HBO Max.