How Many Hot Dogs Can You Eat?

An engraved invitation 1825

Celebrations for Independence Day are nothing new. The invitation above is an example of an engraved invitation that personalizes the recipients, in this case, the Purdy Family for a celebration in Greenwich in 1825.

Seems a bit drab today; where's the red white and blue?  And, there were no hot dogs at this party - the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that on Monday, over 150 million hot dogs will be eaten. We've come a long way...

And, speaking of hot dogs, Joey Chestnut - reigning champ of Nathan's Famous July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest - is aiming to consume 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes - with buns -  to keep his title. Watch above to see what he did last year. He is not just a hot dog king, he also wins asparagus* eating contests and once ate 78 matzo balls.  Don't laugh, he earns big bucks for all this eating. Sharing this Vanity Fair article on Joey (written by John Heilburn).

You can watch Nathan's Contest on ESPN Monday morning; live streaming at 9:30. Oh, and girls compete too.

Have a wonderful 4th of July - happily and safely "unite in the Celebration of the Day"!

*For those who care to know - the idea of eating more than 1 asparagus spear makes me sick.

What color is your holiday? Mine was true blue.

We are all together and very attentive

Healthy debate

The theme for our Family Passover this year was blue - but in a good way. We were together for our Family Seder (this year on Long Island) for the traditional reading of the Haggadah, light discussion and lots of eating.

During the Seder, the afikoman (1/2 piece of matzo wrapped in cloth, saved to be eaten at the conclusion of the Seder meal) was hidden by 2 key players who also strategically placed decoys to throw off those later participating in the search for this prized matzo. Impressive play. After little Ben found the prize and won the game (there were a few challenges made regarding improper assistance), we orderly* moved into the beautiful blue room to watch the Knicks and Yankees play. (I am confused, this sounds like Thanksgiving.)

It was a true blue and happy family affair - some were MIA but say they will report back next year. Happy Passover to all celebrating this holiday.

Just by coincidence I had my toe nails painted with "NYPD BLUE" just in time for the Seder.

Finally, blue is the traditional color of loyalty.



*Seder means order.

Letters To Love

Valentine's Day is a perfect opportunity to be loving.

With love,

Hugs & Kisses,

:)

xoxxox

Fondly,

All my love,

Sincerely,

Warmly,

Thinking of you,

With affection,

Love,

New stationery for yourself or someone you love - or both!
Reds, pinks, black, golds, platinum, even some adornments if you like.

A luxurious and personal way to say thank you for your Valentine's Day chocolate - or any other delights you may give or receive throughout the year.

Yummy!

Call me,

Jackie

A Fruit Cocktail

Over Memorial Day Weekend we had a lot of fun in the hot, hot sun and we made our own version of a fruit cocktail - not truly remarkable but fresh and fruity. This is pretty strong straight up and definitely NOT for children so, if you have kids around, label it because it looks very tempting.

How to:
Cut up a fresh pineapple into cubes.
Put the cubes into a pitcher of vodka.
Let it soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Voila!
Easy Homemade (almost) pineapple vodka.

A Decade Lost: From Aught to Naught

As we enter this new decade, let's review some of those things that are becoming obsolete, what is replacing them, and if that is good or NOT *:

BOOK >>>>>>>>>> KINDLE
Well, I think the Kindles are great, especially for traveling (no lugging the heavy books),for newpapers (no ink mess or awkward paper folding to avoid invading your neighbors space if you care about that sort of thing), and for sampling new reads. But, I do love the feel of a good book and the COLORS/VISUALS you get with an actual book - especially those books from Rizzoli and Assouline.

PEN >>>>>>>>>> KEYBOARD
Sorry, I love the feel of a fabulous pen - from a Tiffany Blue pen to a handsome Mont Blanc to my old stand by - blue papermates (by the box full). I always sign my docs in blue - easy to id the original. But I do use BOTH (obviously, as you are reading my Blog)

LANDLINE >>>>>>>>>> CELLPHONE
Provided the brain cancer link is truly a myth, cellphones are GOOD. They are portable, small and come in a variety of colors.

PAYPHONE CALLS TO SAY GOODNIGHT >>>>>>>>>> CELLPHONES TO SAY/TEXT GOODNIGHT
A GOOD thing. Direct and to the Point and no lines. I am not sure I actually ever stood on a line or used a pay phone for this purpose but others have! And, are there really any payphone left anyway?

ACTUAL CONVERSATION >>>>>>>>>> TEXT MESSAGES and EMAILS
Aside from calling someone's actual home, hearing a voice, maybe having to say hello to someone's parent, child, spouse or other human, actually seeing someone's face during a conversation where you can see their reaction, and read, rightly or wrongly, emotion as you "converse", there are advantages but I hope the Art of Conversation is not completely lost. And, SKYPE is a bridge builder here...

PAYPHONE CALLS TO SAY GOODNIGHT >>>>>>>>>> CELLPHONES TO SAY/TEXT GOODNIGHT
A GOOD thing. Direct and to the Point and no lines. I am not sure I actually ever stood on a line or used a pay phone for this purpose but others have! And, are there really any payphone left anyway?

PERSONAL LETTER >>>>>>>>>> EMAIL
Many say the former has disappeared but we all know the curiousity, intrigue, PLEASURE we feel when a personal letter arrives. Not so much with an email. And, do we save love emails? I don't think so. And, when we give a gift, do we give it with an email taped to the box or in the bag? No, our gifts - whatever the occasion - are most often accompanied with a handwritten note/card or gift tag. As a related aside, one of the most refreshing things I heard all week - a friend who has no email. He only writes personal notes. He responds to business emails sent to his office the next day with a hand written note/letter or a phone call - he likes to take the time to deliberate. While this may not be practical for some or most of us (myself included), it is food for thought.

RANDOM CHATTER >>>>>>>>>> TWITTER
I don't even know what to say here.

HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

*opinions may vary depending upon your age and experience!

Merry Christmas

Even the dogs glisten in Deer Valley.

Wrapping It Up

Here we are, in the middle of the holiday season and things are getting all wrapped up.
Gift paper - sustainably offset printing on 100% post consumer recycled paper.
Letterpress gift tags can also be used as seating cards. From Smock.

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah, skylight menorah from Jonathan Adler. Cool.