FIRE DEPT. FUN FACTS #11

AMSTERDAM - 1403

The first written fire prevention rules were published and contains regulations on buildings, houses, and businesses.  It was stipulated that upon the discovery of a fire you must shout out loud to alert the populous.  Also, the owner of a burning structure had the responsibility to pay for damages to another's property.

A Breezy Life

A Breezy Life

Who hasn’t dreamed of a treehouse?  A place to escape to when daily living seems a drudge, when Life seems to be closing in on you, when you need to feel free?

I like to go on Pinterest and look at the tree house pins.  Of course they’re not to be a part of my future.  At my age and with my knees it would be a real trial to ascend to the heavens and enjoy the wind as it sways and lets you feel you are resting in a hammock.  Of course I’d rather not be there when the wind swells to a full-blown storm, letting the house wrench and lurch  with force and drama.  I am not a modern-day John Muir who enjoyed climbing a tree in a tornado to experience the forces of nature.

I’m also a realist.  There are those who spend a ton of money to make a treehouse livable.  I dare not contemplate the cost of a treehouse complete with bathroom and kitchen facilities.  And I’m sure insurance would be ridiculous.  The company would surely insist on a rider concerning injuries from wind movement and falling out of the tree.  Medical emergencies could be difficult to manage in the event you have to use the services of first responders for any reason.

But still I can dream while lost in a fantasy world of youth, adventure, and just plain fun as I contemplate the relaxation of studying the stars at night from my perch or watching the clouds float by while resting on my surrounding deck.

Where is your imaginary resting spot?

Fire Dept. Fun Facts #10

(Hi.  Missed you all.  So I'll be dropping in every now and then to stay in touch.  I'll still have my new blog at writingohmy.wordpress.com.  Stop by anytime you like.)

1775-1777 - French Chemist Antoine Lavoisier coined the term "oxygen" and investigated the properties of the element.

1783 - Lavoisier discovered that fire results from a chemical process, oxidation, which occurs when a substance is combined with oxygen.  From this came the understanding that fire requires three things: fuel, heat and oxygen.

My Transition Decision

I've really enjoyed doing this blog and hearing from so many people over time.

But now it's time for a change.  I'm starting a new website and you can find it by going to www.writingohmy.wordpress.com.  I do hope you will hop over and check it out, perhaps do me the honor to clicking on follow if you like. 

There will be changes made, new pages added as I go along.  I'm excited about the transition and have positive thoughts on what's happening with this site.

Hope to see you at the new site.

Karen

Am I Old Yet?

A lot of folks ask the question, "When do you get old?"

The answer is - Darned if I know.

Like most folks in the world, I feel a lot younger than I actually am in years.  I read once that as long as the health is strong, most people feel like they reside in their 30's.  That makes sense.  Age is not something you give a lot of thought to when you have only a few years behind you and infinity ahead of you.

But slowly over time your body follows its own path.  Then one day you take a good look in the mirror and realize you are getting a strong resemblance to a parent.  You see it around the eyes, in the jawline, in your hairline.  And the body plays tricks on you.  All of a sudden the knees start creaking, the legs get tired, the energy level takes a hike.  You start to consider the possibility that age may be becoming more than a visitor, but actually striving to establish itself as an uninvited resident of your body.

You might not be able to stop the progress to actually feeling your true age, but that doesn't mean you have to go down without a fight.  You might be a 90 year old woman in a wheelchair, but you can still dream of when you were 18, dressed up for a night on the town, wearing that oh-so-fine red dancing dress and high heel shoes, strutting your fine self in front of a room full of admirers.

As long as you can see that in your mind, can feel it in your soul, then, honey, you're not old yet.

Looking Good, Tasting Better

There was a time some years past when you just didn't see miniature cakes and cupcakes on a regular basis.  Now, of course, you see them almost anywhere.  But in those olden days I worked at a school as a speech-language pathologist.  All staff members were required to attend certain designated PTA meetings as well as staff meetings at times when refreshments were required.  Meaning we each had to prepare something for the meeting.

My go-to recipe at the time was Finger Cheese Cakes. My mother gave me this recipe and it was used a lot those years.  Compliments were given each time. They looked absolutely wonderful and the taste was compatible with the looks.  I was given credit for being a great cook based on this recipe alone.

What I particularly liked was that they were quick and easy to fix.  I always did get up early and I could make a batch in time for 7:30 a.m. check-in time. One recipe fixed in the miniature pans would produce about 54 cheese cakes.  Absolutely beautiful, tasty, with a small size that allowed folks to have a small amount with other foods without getting stuffed.


                                                          FINGER CHEESE CAKES

               2 (8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
               2/3 cup sugar
               1 tsp. vanilla
               2 eggs
               1 Tbsp. lemon juice
               crushed graham crackers (I'd break off small pieces and crush with fingers as needed)
               1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling

1)     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2)     Line 4  miniature cupcake pans with miniature paper liners
3)     Place a thin layer crushed graham crackers in bottom of each tin.
4)     Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, eggs and lemon juice together until smooth.
5)     Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.
6)     Bake 15 minutes or until set
7)     Cool and top with pie filling.  You can also top with thawed whipped topping if desired.

When taking to a meeting, I'd refrigerate the pie filling on site and put on top of the cheesecakes just before serving.

Enjoy.

How To Honor Your Special Vet

Today is Memorial Day, a special day set aside to honor those who fought for our country.  It's wonderful we take time to honor them.  It's hard to think of what they went through.  Not everyone went off to war.  Some were in service and were not called to make that effort, that sacrifice.  But they were there if needed, and they should also be recognized and honored.

Today I heard of a special way these fine men and women are receiving recognition for their time in service.  It's an oral history project to gather together their stories.  It's a project not just for the leaders, but also for the entire spectrum of military personnel.  They want the stories of all ranks, races, faiths, and gender.  Without that diversity the story is not complete.

To find information of how you can participate, either as a veteran or a volunteer, you can go to the website set up to give you the information on what to do and how to do it.  loc.gov/vet is your go-to place for all you need to know.

My dad served in the U. S. Army during WWII, serving in the CBI (China, Burma, India) Theater.  I've been interested in oral history since my college days.  I was able to get him on tape, but my success was limited.  He would tell some humorous stories and such, but he did not want to share the hardships they endured.  I was his daughter and he wanted to spare me such details.  I wish he had given me more, but he had to do what he was comfortable with.

Good luck and God bless you for helping tell their stories, not just for today but for the ages.