Three Blind Mice

There was once a German fellow who believed living in houses and wearing clothes were evil and unnatural. (Okay, that’s not so unusual. Most of the men I’ve known would probably agree with him.) August Engelhardt (1875 – 1919) figured that since the sun was the source of energy, we’d all be healthier if we spent our days soaking in the sunshine. Sun worship is impractical much of the year in Germany, but luckily Engelhardt was left with a generous inheritance. He moved to an island in the South Pacific where he founded a small colony of coconut eaters. He reasoned that since coconuts grow closest to the sun, they must be ideal for man. He believed eating only coconuts would render him immortal. When he died of malnutrition at age 43, he looked worse than many men twice that age. He was proof, if we needed it, that man is meant to be an omnivore.

Star and Cubes

“Be Thou Humble was written by Grietje Terburg Rowley, who passed away last year. She joined the Church in 1950 in Hawaii, where she was teaching school. Sister Rowley served on the General Music Committee and helped to adapt the hymns into multiple languages. She based her text on two verses of scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 112:10 and Ether 12:27. The verse in Ether reads: ‘And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; … for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.’ If we humble ourselves, our prayers are answered; we enjoy peace of mind; we serve more effectively in our callings; and, if we continue to be faithful, we will ultimately return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.” - Elder Steven E. Snow

Three Little Kittens

Shortly after Disneyland opened, Walt decided his most prominent attraction – the Sleeping Beauty Castle – should do more than just sit there looking beautiful. Until that point, the castle was a big empty shell.  Imagineers were brought in to design the Sleeping Beauty walk-through, and were greeting by an army of feral cats who’d taken up residence. Walt found homes for all of them, but there were still lots of cats living in and around the park. And they were doing a more efficient job of keeping Disneyland rodent-free than human exterminators could. So Disney let them stay. They’re all spayed or neutered to keep the population under control. There are feeding stations throughout the park, in case there aren’t enough mice to go around. Feral cats are by definition very people-shy. But if any of them begin to get too comfortable with humans, they’re quickly adopted out to cast members.

Flower Garden Path

Slow Cooker Barley/Beef Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds beef stew meat

4 medium potatoes, coarsely chopped

4 carrots, coarsely chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 quarts beef broth, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

15-ounce can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup barley, rinsed

Salt and pepper

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Sear beef on all sides, then transfer beef to a 6-quart slow cooker. Deglaze pan with 1 cup of beef broth. Heat to a boil and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add to slow cooker. Add vegetables, barley and remaining beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with buttered crusty rolls.

Flower Basket

At 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job. At 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer. At 27, Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school. At 28, J.K. Rowling was a single parent living on welfare. At 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter. At 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs. Julia Child released her first cookbook at 39, and got her own cooking show at 51. Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40. Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at 42. Samuel Jackson didn’t appear in a movie until he was 46. Morgan Freeman landed his first major motion picture movie role at 52. Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76. Save this list for the next time someone says you’re too old.

Rhode Island Star

She was built as a merchant collier (a cargo ship designed to carry coal) and christened Earl of Pembroke. She was launched in 1764 from the North Yorkshire port of Whitby. Four years later she was purchased by the Royal Society and refitted as a research vessel. Renamed the HMS Endeavor, she would carry Captain Cook’s expedition to the Pacific to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the sun and to search for Terra Australis Incognita – the “Unknown Southern Land.” When the expedition returned in 1771, Cook was promoted to Commander and the Endeavor was refitted as a naval transport. Then war broke out in the Colonies and the Endeavor was repaired and renamed Lord Sandwich 2 (because the name Lord Sandwich was already in use). She crossed the Atlantic carrying Hessian mercenaries to retake New York. The Earl of Pembroke/Endeavor/Lord Sandwich 2 is believed to have been scuttled during the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.