DEAR TABBY

DEAR TABBY:  Dan's post on Memorial Day reminded everyone of why we have this holiday, instead of it being just a great three-day weekend with barbecues, fireworks, and sales.  This year, since we didn't have a Memorial Day parade in our town, my family observed the National Moment of Remembrance, which asks Americans everywhere, at 3 p.m. (local time), to pause for one minute, to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all.  We also listened to a recording of Taps, and I was hoping that you could tell us all its very interesting history.  TAPPED INTO TRADITION, CARROLLTON, TEXAS.


DEAR TAPPED INTO TRADITION:  On behalf of everyone here at Blog Dog Dan, we salute you and your family for your observance.  Up to the Civil War, the traditional bugle call for the end of the day was a French tune called Lights Out.  This changed in July of 1862, after General Daniel Adams Butterfield lost 600 men to the Seven Days battles and wanted something different to honor his men.  Since he thought Lights Out was too formal, he took an old bugle tune, rewrote the last five measures, and asked the bugler to play it as written.  After changing it a few times, the tune (which has 24 notes) was finalized and the bugler was asked to sound the new call that evening. 

Within months, this tune (also known as Butterfield's Lullaby or Day is Done) was used by both Union and Confederate forces.  In 1874, Taps was officially recognized by the U.S. Army.  It became standard at military funeral ceremonies in 1891, and is played at all 2,500 military wreath ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Taps likely comes from the three drum taps that were played as a signal for "Extinguish Lights" when a bugle was not used.  While there are no official lyrics for Taps, the following unofficial verse is used:

Fading light dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright

From afar drawing nigh,

Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lakes, from the hills, from the skies

All is well, safely rest;

God is nigh.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear,

Friend, goodnight.

A group of Regular Army buglers in the 1850s; one of the earliest photos of buglers.

Please take the time to hear Taps being sounded on this video, along with the full history: http://youtu.be/Nhtr5J00ntA

MEMORIAL DAY by Blog Dog Dan

Last week, we talked about games.  This week, we'll talk about war, which even though you may have heard of "war games," it is not a game.  I'll give you a brief history on my post today of why we celebrate Memorial Day.  I LOVE HISTORY, and even if you don't love learning about history, you should know your country's history. 


Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) honors the men and women who have died while serving in the American military, and this is the day our country comes together to honor those who "gave their all."  While there are many claims to the beginnings of Memorial Day, it was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by General John Logan.  It was officially observed on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery, where a speech was given by General James Garfield and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery who died in the American Civil War.


By 1890, Memorial Day was recognized by all of the northern states.  The south refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days (you have to read the history of the Civil War!)  It wasn't until after World War I, that we began honoring those who died in all of America's wars. 


In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.  Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave.  It is customary for the President or Vice-President to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I consider three paragraphs to be very brief for this important holiday.  I would love to also tell you about our American flag (which you will see a lot during this holiday) and the duties of the Honor Guard that guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but maybe one of the BDD bloggers will have that "honor."

Below I've given you some brief descriptions of the underlined words.  I hope you'll take what I've given you and do some more research on your own about the causes of the war, the conditions of the war, and which general surrendered to whom.  Check out americancivilwar.com. 

Arlington National Cemetery: This is the United States' national burial ground, located in Arlington county, Virginia, on the Potomac River directly opposite Washington, D.C. (our nation's capital).

General James Garfield: Sworn in as our 20th president in March 1881.  In July, he was shot by an assassin and died from his wounds less than three months later.


American Civil War: (Also called the War Between the States):  Lasted from 1861 to 1865.   Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, was in office (many historians consider him to have been the greatest American president).  Ulysses S. Grant was the final commander of the Union Army, and Robert E. Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army.  620,000 soldiers (260,000 Confederate and 360,000 Union) were killed, 280,000 Union soldiers were injured, and the population and territory of the South was devastated.  Since the American population was 34 million at the time, 2% of the population died in war.  The Civil War had the highest casualty ratio of any war in which American has been involved.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified.  Following the First World War, a movement arose to honor the memory of these soldiers with a single tomb.  On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I. The tomb bears the words: "Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty."  Sculpted into the east panel which faces Washington, D.C., are three Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor.

Here's a famous quote on history:  Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to be always a child.  If no use is made of the labors of past ages, the world must remain always in the infancy of knowledge.

—Marcus Tulius Cicero (106-43 BC, writer, politician and great Roman orator)

COOKING IN THE DARK WITH COCHRAN & CHRISTIE

We're making our "move" with this next recipe!  Have you guessed what it is?  That's right, Lemon Coconut Chess Pie.  This is a new recipe for us, so we're hoping it's a winner!  It is actually a favorite from Pennsylvania Dutch country and has some Southern roots.  Both regions know how to cook and how to shoo insects out of the house!  There is actually a pie called Shoofly Pie, as well as a song!  

Before we get to the recipe, let's try some tongue twisters.  Hey, Christie, we should make some twisty pretzels another time!   According to Guinness World Records, this is the hardest tongue twister in the English language: 

The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.

The next three are well-known tongue twisters.  The first is Peter Piper:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

But if Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Were they pickled when he picked them from the vine?
Or was Peter Piper pickled when he picked the pickled peppers
Peppers picked from the pickled pepper vine?

Our second twister tongue - um, tongue twister is How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck:

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck all the wood a woodchuck could chuck,
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Our third tongue twister is called She Sells.  Our tongue is going to need a rest after all of these!

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

The shells she sells sure are sea shore shells,

For if she sells sea shore shells as sea shells,
The shells she sells are sea shore shells.

This last one will really get our tongue and taste buds ready for that pie!  It's a funny one called Betty Botter:

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter
The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter
And made her batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter makes better batter.
So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter
Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better.



Have you worked up an appetite for some pie?  We call "checkmate" on this recipe!

LEMON CHESS PIE

1 unbaked 9" deep pie shell

3 eggs

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice + 2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cider vinegar
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, cornmeal, salt, butter, cream, lemon juice, lemon rind, coconut, vanilla extract, and vinegar.  Beat with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth.  Scrape the mixture into the pie shell and bake till a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes, covering top halfway .  Cover top of pie with foil after 30 minutes to prevent top from getting too dark.

ENJOY!

Now, we can't leave without showing you a cute picture.  Look how "knotted" up these two kitties are.  They are overloaded with cute animals at http://www.cuteoverload.com/!

FIAMMA'S FUN FACTS FRIDAY

It's been a great day - the weather is warm enough for me to go outside.  I love the weather, the sounds, the fresh air!

Now that I'm "warmed up," it's time to play my favorite game, Twister!  My famous long toes help me to reach the colors.  I really like the colors on the mat - they look like food!

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest Twister Board was created by Colegio Campoverde in Colima, Mexico.  It measured 130 feet, 11 inches in length and 84 feet, 1 inch in width (almost three full-size outdoor basketball courts).  Here's the picture to prove it:

Caesar and Tom should know these facts about chess:

• The longest tournament game in chess was Nikolić-Arsović in 1989, with 269 moves, lasting 20 hours and 15 minutes!
• The shortest tournament game in chess was Đorđević-M. Kovačević, in 1984, lasting for only 3 moves!

Click on the address below to pull up The Iguana Factor to learn multiplication tables!  This will help you in all kinds of games and school!
http://www.educationallearninggames.com/how-to-play-iguana-factor-multiplication-game-rules.asp  

NOW, IT'S TIME TO TWIST AND SHOUT

FERRIS BUELLER

WHAT'S MAJOR TOM THINKING ABOUT TODAY?

This is how confident I was when I bet my favorite catnip-filled strawberry that I could beat Caesar in a game of chess.  This is how it really went:

Caesar is the chess champion, known around the house as the Triple C!  He was looking at me, like, "This is going to be so easy, so let's get it over with.

I was giving him the stare right back and was sizing up all the pieces and looking at the left side of the board.

Then I looked in the middle of the board at a different angle.

 

That's when I made my move and several pieces tipped over (those lightning fast paws!)

I straightened up and was going to put the pieces back in their place.

 

But two pieces fell off the board onto the floor and I knew the game was over.

Caesar came over and said, "Sorry, Tom, you'll have to give me your strawberry."

*I ran away with my favorite catnip-filled strawberry and, with my lightning fast paws, tried to pop him in the nose.

*But instead I accidentally poked his eye and I grabbed my strawberry with my left paw.

My lovely, lovely strawberry.  I'm sorry, Caesar, but mom just filled it up with fresh catnip this morning!

I'm sorry, Caesar, I can't even show my face right now.  Please forgive me.

*Dear Readers, please know that both Tom and Caesar were only playing during this filming and this is just the writer's interpretation of what happened. 

It's all just FUN and GAMES!

Maybe I should just stick to playing checkers with Charlotte, but she is the checkers champ - another Triple C!  She's giving me that look and she's playing with one ear back!  I'm not betting my strawberry this time!!

HAMMIN' IT UP WITH BLOG HOG HAMILTON

I have been sweatin' like a pig coming up with some more jokes on my post!  No, not really, I'm always ready with some "phat" jokes, like this one!

A man went to visit a friend and was amazed to find him playing chess with his dog.  He watched the game in astonishment for a while. "I can hardly believe my eyes!" he exclaimed. "That's the smartest dog I've ever seen."

"Nah, he's not so smart," the friend replied. "I've beaten him three games out of five."


Dear Tabby, I've even got a cute cartoon regarding hide-and-seek! (Hmmm, the cartoon keeps changing, sort of like hide-and-seek)


Have you played the game of Pass the Pigs?  It's the greatest, and if you want to play online, here's the link:  http://www.toptrumps.com/play/pigs/pigs.html


Do you have 3 minutes to watch A Dairy Tale:  The Three Little Pigs? It is so delightful and different:  http://youtu.be/L2mldoDXVwA


KEEP LAUGHING, KIDS!

TROTTIN' ABOUT TOWN WITH HAIRY TROTTER

Before I show you all the funny pictures of Cooper Clinic's version of Sumo Wrestling, I want to tell you some things happening around town this weekend:

At the Dallas Arboretum (through July 31, 2011), don't miss Peter Rabbit's Flower Village.  The Arboretum's Pecan Grove will be transformed into a beautiful floral village with houses made of flowers and small topiary characters from Beatrix Potter's classic tales.  Peter Rabbit will greet visitors in the main entry plaza three weeks this summer, May 1-May 12, June 13-June 23 and July 21-July 31 from 10 am to 1 pm, every hour on the hour.  Bring a camera to get a picture with Peter!

Also, at the Arboretum, visit the Fairy Tale Castle Exhibit (through December 31, 2011).  Here are the seven exhibits:

Beauty & the Beast

The Princess and The Pea 

Aladdin

Rapunzel 
The Little Mermaid

Jack & the Beanstalk 

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters



Are You Ready to Tumble!!!!!! Look at the ducks trying to join in the fun!

DEAR TABBY

DEAR TABBY:  My big brother and I play hide-and-seek with our neighborhood friends and we usually have a great time!  Lately, he's had help from our beagle, Billy, finding me in my hiding places.  I have told him that it’s not fair, but he thinks it’s funny and so does everyone else!  I don't want to stop playing because I love the game so much, but I feel like I'm being picked on because I'm the little sister.  Any suggestions, Tabby?  
HOUNDED BY A BEAGLE.

DEAR HOUNDED BY A BEAGLE:  Your big brother has pulled an Illegal Beagle move!  It may be funny and enjoyable to everyone else, but it's not fair when your brother's not seeking!  Beagles are known to be good scent hounds and can track rabbits and small game.  They also have a very cute baying sound when they find their target!  I'm sure Billy is very pleased when he "finds" you and doesn't know he's spoiling the game!  Hopefully, some of your neighborhood friends have a Bloodhound that can find your brother when it’s his time to hide.  Bloodhounds are considered to be the best trackers of all!  I’m sure he’ll start playing fair after he's been "hounded" a few times!

Of course, we're familiar with Snoopy the beagle of the Peanuts cartoon, but did you know that a ship called the HMS Beagle was the first ship to sail under the new London Bridge in July of 1820?  The HMS Beagle was used in three journeys.  The second was a 5-year journey where Charles Darwin was on board, and his work eventually made the Beagle one of the most famous ships in history!

Let's watch a video and maybe your mom and dad can show you how to play London Bridge? Video 

Have you played Peanut's Collectors Monopoly game yet?  It looks fun, doesn't it?  Why don't we watch the Peanuts gang sing Happiness, from You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.  It's so sweet, and you can also see Snoopy bay at the moon!  http://youtu.be/hKKjqzkGo3o

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? by Blog Dog Dan

It's FUN to have FUN, rain or shine!  Animals can teach us a lot about having fun.  Just look at how happy your pet is when he or she is playing with a toy, running around in the yard, or just riding in the car.  Animals are never too busy for fun!  Unless they're not feeling well or are REALLY tired, they will always take the time to play with another person or animal.  A benefit that comes from having fun is laughter.  You know what they say - laughter is the best medicine.  Are you the only one that hasn't seen the laughing penguin?: http://youtu.be/2Fbt1fVfi-g

You know that dogs laugh, don't you?  It sounds like a long, loud pant, and they look like they're smiling.  A researcher did an experiment to see what effect the sound would have on a group of 15 barking dogs at an animal shelter.  When they played the sound of a dog panting over the loud speaker, the dogs continued to bark.  When they played the sound of a dog laughing over the loud speaker, all of the dogs went quiet within a minute!  They say it works every time! 

Caesar loves his yard and can play ball all day (and all night) long!  Sometimes, he just can't decide which ball to play with, as you can see by the picture on the right.  Only when he gets really tired, will he sit down and chew a bone, but he still has his ball close by, in case someone wants to toss it again!

Charlotte, on the other hand, is a social butterfly (or flutterby) and loves to go on walks, go to the dog park or doggie daycare, and chew on her bones and squeaky toys!  She also loves to get brushed, hide in the pampas grass, and roll in the grass.

 

Take a hint from your animal friends - never pass up an opportunity to play - that goes for adults, too!  Go outside and play ball or just roll around on the ground (BDD would love a picture of that!)  On a rainy day, play a board game with your family or friends.  With programs like the Wii Fit, you can play all kinds of sports and learn how to dance and do yoga!  Caesar wants to show you another yoga pose called pigeon.

Below is a list of some of the top-rated board games for 2011 - see if your favorite is listed.  Don't be shy about writing a comment and tell Dan about your favorite game.  I'm sure a lot of readers will agree and say, "Oh, yeah, I love that, too!" 

For kids ages 3-8

• Monopoly Junior Edition
• Trouble
• Hi-Ho Cherry-O
• Chutes and Ladders
• Candyland
• Sequence for Kids

For kids ages 8+

• Blokus
• Hedbanz
• Scavenger Hunt for Kids
• Operation
• Don't Break the Ice
• Uno Card Game

Do you like Battleship, Stratego, Life, Clue, Sorry, SkipBo, Yahtzee, Scrabble, or checkers?  Are you ready to play now?

Check out this talented pup playing the piano and singing: http://youtu.be/PiblYasnzWE 

COOKING IN THE DARK WITH COCHRAN & CHRISTIE

We have been bugging to tell you all week about National Chocolate Chip Day, which is always May 15.  See how we avoided the whole hygiene issue on our posting, not that we have a "chip on our shoulder" about the subject or anything!  We just thought we should make a "clean sweep" altogether by focusing on CHOCOLATE!

No, not a cute chocolate Lab, but real chocolate!

Our love of chocolate dates back to 1100 BC, but the history of chocolate chips goes like this: In 1937, at the Toll House Inn in Massachussets, Ruth Wakefield cut up a block of Nestle chocolate into little chunks and added them to a butter cookie dough.  She found that the chocolate pieces held their shape when baked.  I guess you could say that it was "chips off the old block"!  The Nestle company discovered her delicious cookie recipe and made a deal for the rights of the recipe.  By 1939, Nestle had invented chocolate morsels and upon buying the Toll House name, they printed Ruth Wakefield's "Famous Toll House Cookie" recipe on the back of the bright yellow package. 

We have a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, which is so easy, so be sure to have  some cold milk ready to drink with it!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan. 

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually mix in flour mixture.  Mix in chips.  Spread into prepared pan (I put globs all over the pan and then spread evenly with a spatula).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars. (I run a knife around the edges and then flip it onto a cutting board and cut into bars.)

ENJOY!

Here's a list of the top 10 places to visit for some of the best chocolate in the world!

10. Cologne, Germany

9. Tain L'Hermitage, France 

8. Hershey, Pennsylvania

7. New York, New York

6. Villajoyosa, Spain

5. San Franciso, California

4. Oaxaca, Mexico

3. Barcelona, Spain

2. Zurich, Switzerland

1. Brussels, Belgium

Because this blog is "like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get," we have added a video. Please click on the link after your fingers are clean and see a short SpongeBob video: http://youtu.be/KmWZjRMExcQ