Showing posts with label Harry Belafonte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Belafonte. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 March 2009

1 March - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Gemstone of the Month

Bloodstone



Flower of the Month: Daffodil


First of all Nomanda would like to thank all our new readers! We have been getting more and more of you every day and we really appreciate you! If you are enjoying Nomanda’s blog please pass it on to your friends. And if you would like to make a comment or get your own special mention on your own special day just send us the details through the comments section and we’ll make sure we don’t forget you!

Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



If you are not a Welshman then you can be forgiven for not remembering that today is the day that celebrates the patron saint of Wales, St David.

Welsh nationals all over the world will be seen wearing their national flower, the daffodil (is that where the expression “Daffy” comes from?) or for the more outgoing Welsh, the leek, which is in fact the personal symbol of Saint David. Well I guess that wearing a leek in your lapel today will keep late winter colds at bay as well as clearing the sinuses. Not to mention the stretching of your lapel! After all they’re not small are they?

So, apart from promoting the leek, which is a great veggie by the way (see the lovely leek soup recipe below), Saint David (c.520-588) is famous for being the founder and first abbot-bishop of St. David’s in Dyfed, (formerly called Menevia) in South Wales.


The day of the 1st of March is supposed to be the date of Saint David’s death in 588 when upon his deathbed he exhorted his fellow monks to “Be cheerful, keep the faith, and do those little things you have seen me do and heard me say” Not bad advice even today!.



Welsh Recipe : Cawl Cennin a Hufen (Creamed Leek Soup)


Ingredients

1 1/4 lb/500g leeks
2 oz/50 g butter
1/4 lb/110 g roughly chopped onion
1 roughly chopped celery head
5 pints/3 l of mutton stock
1 oz/25 g roughly chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
5 oz/150 ml double cream
Sippets (crisped up cubes of bread)

Method

1. Clean the leeks thoroughly, chop them roughly and set a little of the green aside for garnish
2. Melt the butter and cook the vegetables under cover with browning them.
3. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for 1 hour, skimming if necessary.
4. Rub the soup through a sieve or blend in a liquidiser.
5. Reheat the soup, stir in the parsley and green of leeks
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Stir in the cream, correct seasoning and serve with sippets.




As we all know only too well banks have been on the front pages of every newspaper for months now. So it will come as no surprise to learn that on this day in history this day has been a special day for banks doing deals with the state! On this day in 1927 the Bank of Italy was nationalised. And lo and behold the British Government took over control of the Bank of England on this day in 1946 after leaving it alone for the previous 252 years! Since then, however, the government has ceded control back to the Bank of England and is hell bent bailing out nearly every other British bank! Soon the only British bank that won’t be owned by the government, and of course that means you and me, will be the Bank of England! It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious!



Our first birthday celebrity today is the famous swinging band leader Glen Miller (1904 – 1944) and if you’re “In the Mood” have a listen to one of his signature tunes!





Our next birthday boy is Harry Belafonte (1927) the well known calypso singer famous for his “Day-O” song. I hope all his bananas have been counted in time for his birthday bash today and that there’s not a banana split in sight!




Jensen Ackles
(1978) is our last birthday boy today and is best known for playing Eric Brady in “Days of our Lives”. “Joey” from “Friends” would have loved this part!





Happy Special Day to one and all!!



If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!


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Monday, 20 October 2008

20 October - Historical Events and Special Celebrations



Flower of the Month

Calendula


Gemstone of the Month: Opal


Nomanda’s Happy Special Day blog is a celebration of events and anniversaries that have touched our lives. If today is your special day join us in looking at a few other events that have occurred on your day. Enjoy!



The “King of Calypso”, Harry Belafonte was on his way to greatness on this day in 1955 when he recorded what has become his signature song, the “Banana Boat Song”. Throughout his career he has been an advocate of civil rights and humanitarian causes and most recently has been an outspoken critic of George Bush. Sounds like an all round good egg to me, and he’s still going strong!


Renowned for his character “Captain James Kirk” of the Star Ship Enterprise, William Shatner has proved to be quite enterprising himself in the marriage department. It was on this day in 1973 he married Marcy Lafferty. It was his second marriage, and so far has proved to be the longest lasting. Currently on wife number 4 Nomanda wishes him well and hopes this will bring a smile to his face! It could be worse!


Queen Elizabeth II opened the Sydney Opera House on this day in 1973. The building was designed by the Danish architect, Jern Ultzon and is situated just along the water from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Bridge and the Opera House have become Australian icons and the Opera House was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2007. It also has a special place in Nomanda’s heart as our daughter was proposed to by her now husband on the steps leading up to the entrance of the Opera House. How romantic is that! And now they are expecting their first baby any time soon! Fantastic!


Another great architect born today, Christopher Wren (1632 – 1723) graces Nomanda’s pages. A busy man, our Christopher, because as well as designing St Paul’s Cathedral, he designed a further 51 London churches when he wasn’t occupied with his astronomy and geometry pursuits!


In a political career spanning almost 60 years our next birthday celebrity, Viscount Palmerston (1784 – 1865) certainly knew how to tackle the odd “foreign policy” issue with flair and gunboats! It’s a pity there aren’t a few more around like him today to make Britain Great again!


Palmerston got involved in a lot of stuff but as far as I know he didn’t bother the South Africans too much during his time as either Foreign Secretary or Prime Minister. That is just as well for our next birthday boy, Allan Donald (1966) the lightening fast bowler for South Africa of the 1990’s. I’m pretty sure if Palmerston had to face Donald he would have just taken his guard and knocked the first ball right over the bowler’s head for six!


Our final birthday boy is the rapper who calls himself Snoop Doggy Dogg and anyone who wants to do that deserves a mention! Here’s one of his offerings!




Happy Special Day to one and all!!



If you know someone who is celebrating their birthday, anniversary or a special day today or sometime soon why not send them a nice e-card so they get it as soon as they log on! Even better, why not send this page to your friend!
Don’t know what to get for a present? Think about what your special person enjoys doing and the things they like.


For Girls, I know that flowers and chocolates are a bit cliché but nevertheless they always seem to work! Of course, if your budget stretches that far, jewellery, watches, perfume and fashion items are always appreciated!

For Boys, all boys like toys! It’s just as they get older the toys get more expensive. So gadgets and gimmicky things work. Again, if you have the budget then car accessories, sporting equipment and clothes, and man type jewellery like watches and gold chains will go down very well!

And, if all else fails, you could always send them a gift voucher and they can choose whatever they want!

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event today I hope you got lots of cards and presents and that there is someone special in your life who will make this day a very happy and special day for you.



Happy celebrations to you from the Happy Special Day Blog!!

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