‘TELL me – HOW LONG WILL It Take”
“To get your Monopoly board out, and to start playing our favorite game?
“Hurry up – I have lots of money to play with”
NATIONAL PLAY MONOPOLY DAY
National Play Monopoly Day on November 19th recognizes the iconic board game that lands us on Park Place, Boardwalk or even in jail.
Known as one of the most popular board games in the world, Monopoly was originally based on a board game designed by Elizabeth Magie in 1902. The game has been played by an estimated 5 million people since 1935.
Monopoly comes in numerous versions. Do you enjoy a particular book or movie franchise or hobby? The game likely comes in themes focusing on famous characters and likely scenarios. How about sports teams or pop culture? Monopoly money goes there, too!
Monopoly was published by Parker Brothers, an American toy and game manufacturer since 1883.
HOW TO OBSERVE #PlayMonopolyDay
Put your banker cap on. Gather your family and friends together and play Monopoly. See if you can come out the winner. What are your house rules? How long do games last in your house or do they end up in turmoil? Use #NationalPlayMonopolyDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL MONOPOLY DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar® continues researching the origins of this board game holiday.
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“Just Exactly the Perfect House – For Sale”
When you are looking for a “HOUSE” and are ready to buy – what are some of the questions you ask of yourself – and what is the Real Estate Agent asking?
This house is in Pine Lawn and when this Photo was taken WWII was making it hard for families, to find suitable housing, when you have small children? Back then, if you were looking to “RENT” and had children – you would have a tough time trying to find something – I am guessing that the “OWNERS” of property were thinking, that those small children of yours’ – were out to destroying their property – and it would be too costly to put their place back into good shape, for another tenant – to even give it a second look-see?
“This is my Daddy and holding our little baby, “Tommy”. On the tricycle is the “Queen of Speed” herself, little ole ME!”
As far back, as I can remember, I always had some way of getting around – as my Mother had told me – that, I have the wings of Eagles on my heels! In other words – I was always in a hurry to go – no matter what or where – I would hurry, and why – no one knows – but, I would just like to get to where I am going – and, if I am to do something – then, I want to hurry up and get it done!
Do you think, that I am done then, “No way” – I already have something else, that does have to be done – and will have to get started, with a real quick moving on – to doing it – just as soon – and as fast – and the real funny thing is… I always have so very much and lots more to do!
“This is Tommy!” He is walking along side of “Motorcycle Mama, Mea” and, as you can see – I am, all ready to go, and to go as fast as I can!
Our Aunt Irene would come by, to see us, every so often, and when she did, she would do something with my hair. Looks like “Spit Curls” in the above picture, as they called that type of curling the hair with bobby-pins and putting a “hair-net” on the head – to hold the curls in place. Sometimes, Aunt Irese would do my hair up in the French Braids, as she would have liked to have had children of her own – but, her one and only son, “Bernie” died, when he was only, TEN YEARS old.
After looking at this old Photo – I was wondering if any family, stays in the very first house, that they select, and find that for the next fifty and or sixty years, everything that they had ever wanted and had dreamed that this particular house would be for them, – after all is said and done, were they able to find and know – in living in this their first choice and only house they did move into, that this was the very best choice, and that they have LOVED every last minute in that DREAM of a LIFETIME!” D.V.
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“An amazing 2 letter English word”
” It will be UP to you to get UP for this!!”
A reminder that one word in the English language that can be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb and preposition.
UP
Read until the end ….. you’ll laugh.
This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is ‘UP.’ It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It’s easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.
At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UPexcuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UPa list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, the earth soaks itUP. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP. One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it UP, for now . . . my time is UP!
Oh . . . one more thing: What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?
U
P !
Did that one crack you UP?
“Give full credit for this article to Little TOMMY” D.V.
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“Listen, Learn and then Tell a Story”
In the National Day Calendar Classroom this week, anticipation is building for Thanksgiving. In schools, it can be a time of high anxiety and eagerness. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, the National Day of Listening sponsored by StoryCorps encourages everyone to tell, record and listen to each other’s stories.
With many families, whether they are big, small or made up of a patchwork of substitute aunts, uncles and grandparents, they all have stories and when woven together make up the fabric of our nation. Often those stories are hard to hear, especially when they come from a child’s voice. They are our history to be told.
So, as an assignment to your students, encourage them to ask for stories of their siblings, their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Their neighbor from a distant land may have a story from their life to tell, or perhaps the bus driver or mail delivery person. And don’t let your students forget their stories. No matter their age, they have a story to tell.
LISTEN
Early in the week have your students practice active listening skills. For younger students, make sure they turn on their ears. Games like Simon Says, Red Light, Green Light and Mother, May I will help them to practice focusing on the task at hand.
STORYTELLING
With this lesson, students can practice storytelling by making up a story together. This task will help them with their oral storytelling skills.
You will need an item that can be called the speaking cup, block, stick, etc… You may also need a timer if students tend to be wordy. The person who possesses it will be able to add to the story. The teacher will begin the story and hand the item to the first student. Each student will take turns adding elements to the story.
The student’s stories may be recorded in written, audio or video format and uploaded to StoryCorps Wall of Listening.
MORE LISTENING
Visit StoryCorps to listen to stories on their podcast.
Find a list of questions to ask at StoryCorps.
Learn more about recording stories and National Day of Listening at StoryCorps.
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“What is a Hermit Cookie?”
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F.
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In a standing mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat until mixture is pale and thick – about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
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Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Incorporate raisins, dates and nuts (depending on your mixer, you may have to do this part by hand with a wooden spoon).
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Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto a well-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are set but centres still appear moist. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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Store in an airtight container (up to 10 days) or freeze on a flat surface then transfer to freezer bags to store up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
What is a Hermit Cookie?
Hermit cookies. They were my Grandma’s most favourite cookies – a New England classic that travelled up the the coast to infiltrate its Canadian neighbours.
The speculation surrounding the name “Hermit Cookies” is that you can tuck them away and they last a really long time. They also freeze beautifully, as uncooked dough balls that you can bake from frozen, or already baked.
While the Canadian version features dates, its American counterpart is just raisins and nuts.
Add the dates, Americans! They’re so luscious and chewy and sticky-sweet; a perfect addition to these lightly spiced gems.
The cookies are sweetened with just brown sugar – imparting an irresistible caramel-ly flavour and chewy texture that will have you reaching for a third, then maybe a fourth… which is not as terrible as you might think, because they’re actually lighter than most cookies.
“Lighter” with air bunnies around it, that is – they’re still cookies, they won’t do sit-ups for you – but they do have 1/2 the amount of butter that many other types do…
They’re jam packed with raisins, dates and walnuts, and scented with warm spices – but these are no spice cookie; the flavours are subtle.
Because they haven’t got a lot of butter, it’s really important to prep your baking sheets or they will stick – parchment paper is ideal: easiest removal, practically no cleanup, no need for extra fat. If you like to bake, I really recommend you keep parchment paper on hand. Otherwise, just grease ’em well!
The recipe is adapted from my grandma’s Purity cookbook – it’s a treasure, filled with old fashioned Canadian classics.
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“Remembering an Extra Special Paratrooper”
We do need to always remember all of our young men, that have enter into the SERVICE of their choice – to serve and protect AMERICA – no matter where they may be needed.
This is Thomas F. McClarren – 82nd Airborne Division – U.S. Army …
…and… Since it is November, the month that we all will take some special time to stop and think about the situation in the World , we will be remembering as far back as we can those times when America was called on, to do her part in other parts of the World.
This Photo could be early 1960’s timeframe and that is my brother, “Tom” sitting right and about to take a puff, as this could be “intermission” time at his table – for this picture to be taken of TOM and his fellow Paratroopers, as you can see that they all waiting to hear – all of his wondrous activities.
Tom more than likely was doing, that which he does naturally – keeping everyone highly entertained with stories and jokes that only he can do with such flair – that you are just sitting back, with ears wide opened to catch every silly word, as only TOM can deliver – and your eyes are all over him- as you just do not want to miss any wild and entertaining moves, that he will be making – while you and the crowd are dying with laughter.
Getting back to November, and remembering that this PHOTO was taken a long time ago, let us not forget all those young men – as there may have been some – that may not have returned back from Germany – as Tom was there for a good part of the tour of duty, as he was in the SERVICE around the same time as “Elvis Presley” – and now is a good time to remember by giving THANKS to the ALMIGHTY for bringing our young men back home, and for always keeping them, with those that will always LOVE them and be grateful, for all that they did, when they were very young and very BRAVE!
PS – “Just have to say this – I could never ever understand, why anyone would want to drop out, of a perfectly good flying airplane – do they, not know that the ground is very hard and that you could hurt yourself – if – you do not have an ANGEL – by your side, and all the way, down!” D.V.
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