Happiness is a headlamp for aging eyes

 The warm light of this headlamp, as opposed to the white light of so many comparable LEDs, is very natural. I get so much more done so quickly wearing this in the winter mornings and evenings. A wonderful gift!

Happiness is a very young John Anderson, singing "1959" released in November 1980

Happiness is Johnny Horton singing 1960's North to Alaska with a Dwight Yoakam cover

Happiness is John Anderson singing "Chicken Truck" in February 2014 at the Redneck Country Club in Stafford, Texas

 

Norm Crosby has died: May he wrest in piece

 His many happy conflagrations to the English languidage will never be forgotten.

Happiness is a martial birthday

A birthday happens not by chance,

it's not at all in our control.

Each a marker on a mission,

one by one they call, they beckon.

Every year makes its advance,

another checkpoint on patrol.

Take five to pause and to inspect

your kit to see if it's complete,

to get you through to duty's end

with what you need or must amend,

a time to rest and to reject

every thought of sad retreat.

We cannot know the outcome now,

but only that our part we play.

And when at last our task is done, 

and we our final course have run,

we trust our Captain will endow

the vict'ry ribbon to repay.

-- Johnny (For Monica, 4 October 2020)

Happiness is homemade tincture of lavender

Homemade tincture of lavender

2 cups vodka

1/2 cup culinary lavender flower buds (e.g. Folgate or Royal Velvet, aka English)

parchment paper

large clean canning jar with a secure lid (I use an old 48oz honey jar)

1) Add the buds to the jar.

The best culinary lavender buds are well sifted, with hardly any brown bracts or stems remaining. Fresh means the buds are bright and not faded.

Don't even THINK about using sachet-grade lavender. If you use e.g. Grosso, it will turn out . . . gross, perhaps even toxic.  

2) Pour the vodka into the jar.

3) Cut a generous piece of parchment paper for a lid liner. Wrap the parchment over the opening and screw on the lid over that. The parchment helps prevent any reaction between the contents and the lid's rubber and metal components.

4) Give the contents a whirl and store in a pantry away from light and heat for a month or so. At least weekly give it whirl to keep it mixed up.

5) Strain the contents through a sieve after a month and return the liquid to the same jar with the parchment between the lid and the jar for indefinite keeping on the shelf.

6) The tincture makes a refreshing cocktail in the summers over ice with some added sweetener and water, and is reminiscent of Ouzo or Anisette. Or jazz up your fresh-squeezed lemonade by adding some lavender tincture to it.

7) But mainly I use a tablespoon or two in hot tea made with honey and lemon in the colder months when I feel a cold or flu coming on. It usually stops the cold dead in its tracks if you begin with the tincture immediately on symptom onset, in my experience.  This is not medical advice. 

Happiness is David Seville and The Chipmunks from 1958 (you probably remember them as Alvin and The Chipmunks)

 

Happiness is the 1951 pro-police film . . . The Day the Earth Stood Still

Yes, Gort is actually a cop:

"There must be security for all -- or no one is secure... This does not mean giving up any freedom except the freedom to act irresponsibly. Your ancestors knew this when they made laws to govern themselves -- and hired policemen to enforce them. We of the other planets have long accepted this principle. We have an organization for the mutual protection of all planets -- and for the complete elimination of aggression. A sort of United Nations on the Planetary level... The test of any such higher authority, of course, is the police force that supports it. For our policemen, we created a race of robots-- Their function is to patrol the planets -- in space ships like this one -- and preserve the peace. In matters of aggression we have given them absolute power over us. At the first sign of violence they act automatically against the aggressor. And the penalty for provoking their action is too terrible to risk."

Happiness is Mediterranean Tomato Sauce from Rosso and Lukins' THE NEW BASICS

Mediterranean Tomato Sauce, adapted

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1 2oz can anchovies in oil

4 cloves garlic

2 28oz cans San Marzano tomatoes

3 T capers in salt, rinsed

1/2 c pitted Kalamata olives

ground black pepper

1) Combine EVOO, anchovies and all their oil, and garlic in a ceramic-coated dutch oven, mash gently and saute over medium heat a couple of minutes. To speed this up I just throw it all in the food processor first to chop it up, then add it to the dutch oven.

2) Add the tomatoes and crush, then add the capers and olives, bring up to heat, then simmer on low covered about an hour, stirring frequently.

3) Before using or storing, grind over some black pepper to taste.

4) Rosso and Lukins use only 35oz of tomatoes but triple the olives, 1.5 c.

We use this on Rosso and Lukins' Mediterranean Hero sandwich from the same cookbook, which is, in my opinion, absolutely fabulous, but is sort of a cheater's Pan Bagnat. We stir together canned atlantic salmon, chopped tomato, and red onion, and place this mixture in a hollowed-out side of an oiled french baguette cut lengthwise (stale is best). You top that with this sauce, then top that with sliced hard-boiled eggs and the other half of the baguette. Then we toast it in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes or so. Before serving we add romaine lettuce, and even avocado. The thing is glorious warm, room temperature, or cold. But this might be more glorious:

You haven't lived until you've tasted a FatBoy Ice Cream Sandwich

Easily the best ice cream sandwich I have ever had. And why not? Look at all that saturated fat in there.

I found an 18-pack for $9.98 at Sam's Club.

Happiness is The Reflections singing 1964's Just Like Romeo and Juliet

Happiness is just a state of mind

Happiness is . . . loving it!

Happiness is the 102 year old woman who says "Jesus did not change water into wine so that I could look at it"

Advice from a woman who survived covid-19, the 1918 flu - and cancer:

But when she's being introspective, she credits a strong immune system, avoidance of excessive worry and even her love of red wine. She was known to say, "Jesus did not change water into wine so that I could look at it."

Happiness is good instant coffee when you're up early and need to be quiet because no one else is

Yes, happiness is being "closer, and closer, and closer, like we used to be"

Happiness is making the morning coffee and suddenly this song pops into your head for no good reason

Happiness is super easy side-dish "Southwestern Rice" made with RO-TEL

1 can "original" RO-TEL, undrained

4 oz. prepared black beans, fully rinsed

4 oz. frozen sweet corn kernels, steamed and warm

1 cup already prepared Basmati rice, warm

Mix everything together in a heat-proof covered casserole dish and pop it in the oven on "warm" 20 minutes or so before serving. The tomatoes in the recipe prepared this way remain perkier than cooking the RO-TEL together with the rice.

You don't have to make your beans from scratch, but I did. Took about 3 hours. Rinse, cover with water in a heavy pot, boil, turn off heat & cover 1 hour. Return to boil, then to low, simmer 2 hours covered. Drain and rinse well. Ba-da-bing.

Happiness is Uncle Kracker, who can't wait for this to be over

Happiness is Don Williams singing "Tulsa Time", first released in October 1978

Happiness is a refreshing glass of vodka lemonade

Vodka lemonade

1 lemon

2 t sugar

1/4 c water

1/4 c vodka

ice

1) Juice the lemon and add juice to a high ball glass

2) Add the water, vodka and sugar

3) Stir vigorously to dissolve sugar

4) Add ice and serve

Happiness is the juice of the lemon in the summertime

 

 

 

 

  The juice of the lemon is more cooling and astringent than that of oranges.

-- John Arbuthnot (1667-1735)

Happiness is Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers singing "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" in 1956

Happiness is to know how always to choose the mean and shun the excess in either direction

. . . know how always to choose in such things the life that is seated in the mean and shun the excess in either direction, both in this world so far as may be and in all the life to come; for this is the greatest happiness for man.

-- Plato, Republic, Book X, 619

Happiness is when Dudley Do-Right shows up when you can't pay the rent

Happiness is the eastern redbud tree in bloom

Happiness is crop rotation

 

 

If you sow one ground with the same kind of grain, it will produce but poorly.

-- Francis Bacon

Happiness is a tender Italian turkey meatball "shell" during the pandemic

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey

1/2 c milk

1 egg

3/4 c Panko bread crumbs

Seasoning:

1 t salt

1/2 t granulated garlic

1/2 t dried thyme leaves

1/2 t dried oregano leaves

1/2 t whole black peppercorns, or 1/4 t ground

1 t fennel seeds

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 T sweet Hungarian paprika

Method:

1) Whisk together the egg and the milk in a large mixing bowl

2) Grind the seasonings in a coffee grinder until fine-ish

3) Whisk the seasonings into the egg/milk mixture

4) Add the meat to the bowl and mix together using a fork or a potato masher

5) Add the bread crumbs and mix together

6) Form "meatball shells" using a fork and a nonstick ice cream scoop, which releases them easily 

7) Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add enough canola oil to cover the bottom

8) Fry "shells" in batches about twelve minutes in the oil, flat side first, flipping them half way through

9) Serve with pasta "Orecchiette" if you can find them, for fun, and your favorite sauce

Happiness is being one of the lucky dogs who snagged one of these at Sam's Club this week

And I paid only $1.98, which actually reflects a recent price increase. Once in a while you've got to splurge on the creamy, fatty goodness of half-n-half in your coffee. Like during a pandemic, for example.

Milk, however, was CLEANED OUT. First time that's ever happened to me at Sam's Club.

Butter also was unavailable again at Sam's.

So far, though, I'm still able to get milk and butter either at the corner gas station, or at the grocery stores. Mind you, at those places it costs more, even a lot more, than I routinely pay at Sam's.

Meanwhile, the shelves are actually appearing better-stocked at Sam's than I've seen them in the last four weeks.

And more of the shoppers are wearing masks now, as am I. 

Happiness is the big mother bag of bread flour purchased at Sam's Club to get us through the lock down

Happiness is COVID-19 (Come on Eileen)

Happiness is being secure from fortune's blows

Secure from fortune's blows,

Secure of what I cannot lose,

In my small pinnace I can sail.

-- John Dryden

Happiness is Comrade Jeeves explaining Stalin's socialism to Comrade Butt

Here.

Happiness is fruit so fresh out of the bag the attached leaf is still green

Happiness is BelGioioso pre-sliced fresh mozzarella for pizza night

It's more expensive than shredded part-skim mozzarella by about $1.23/lb, but tastes far better.

It's worth it.

We can still make five pizzas with a pound of it as before, and just as conveniently because it is pre-sliced.

Happy is he who is kind to the poor

-- Proverbs 14:21

It is more blessed to give than to receive. -- Acts 20:35

It was 21 years ago today, the final game for John Elway

All things considered, I prefer the hammsvirus

Happiness is 36-year-old Aaron Rodgers leading the Packers to San Fran for the NFC Championship game on Jan 19th

Cheeky sports girl announcer called him "old man" after last night's victory over Seattle.

Happiness is visiting the junkyard on a 47 degree day in January and saving big bucks on tires and wheels

It was like winning the lotto. 

There she was, a 2003 Pontiac Bonneville with black steel wheels and tires, not in the yard yet two weeks. Junked probably for a failed tranny. The tires were just over two years old and still had a tread depth of 8. Wheels and tires fit my 1997 Oldsmobile with ten year old rubber needing replacement. Extra set of wheels will get my snow tires.

Who could have predicted? Out the door for $108 plus tax.

Total savings over retail: At least $675. 

Happiness is the best answer ever to the interview question "What would be your ideal job?"

Happiness is 1965's "Wooly Bully" by Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs

Video.

Happiness is the old Majestic 36BDVR gas fireplace fixed over Christmas by your son for less than ten bucks

Happiness is November 1982's TV movie The Scarlet Pimpernel starring Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews

They seek him here.

They seek him there.

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

Is he in Heaven?

Or is he in Hell?

That damned, elusive, pimpernel.

Happiness is Eight O'Clock Coffee

Eight O'Clock Coffee,

     Five O'Clock Gin,

Start the day early,

     End it with a grin.

Happiness is stents, which save lives if your widowmaker is blocked, and improve quality of life, despite recent study

The findings do not apply to all heart patients, including those with blockages in the left main coronary artery, Hochman said. And, she added, “if you’re having a heart attack, stents save lives.”

Story.

Today is the second anniversary of my stent procedure, and I'm happy to tell you I'm happy to be here, because I did it.

If you have pain in your chest or arms on exertion, or quickly reduced function due to fatigue on exertion, see your doctor. A simple stress test and echo-cardiogram can save your life, and improve it.

Pet Peeve: When the really nice looking white-skinned chicken thighs have just as much skin hidden underneath them by the butcher

Happiness is white teeth

We simple toasters take delight

To see our women's teeth look white;

And ev'ry saucy ill-bred fellow

Sneers at a mouth profoundly yellow.

-- Matthew Prior

Happiness is the Victor Tin Cat mouse trap: Holds up to 30!

It works as advertised. We put in some sunflower seeds as bait and set it in the garage overnight and caught four, after which they went for a nice little swim.

Next!

Happiness is replacing the traditional charcoal grate with the Old Smokey charcoal grate

Traditional charcoal grates burn hotter than the Old Smokey type grate because the coals are exposed to air both top and bottom.

But with the Old Smokey the bottoms are not directly exposed to air, and consequently you get a longer, less intense burn.

For me the Old Smokey type, meant for smoking obviously, just works better for things like hamburgers and pork chops because you can grill directly over the coals but the heat is just less intense and you get a more tender, flavorful outcome.

Happiness is a used Karcher G2000QT gas engine pressure washer for ten bucks

For an additional six or seven bucks in parts, my very talented son had this model up and running in a couple of days after taking it apart and regreasing it.

So far we've cleaned some long overdue dirty house siding, the driveway, an old lawnmower, all the first floor cottage blinds (out on the clean driveway), and the Generac, all in the first week, and I'm probably forgetting something!

Works with a garden hose, and we didn't even use any soap, just plain water. Worked like a charm. It takes up very little space in the garage, too.

What a money saver this thing has been already.

Happiness is the 1870 counting rhyme "Over in the Meadow"

Over in the meadow,

In the sand, in the sun,

Lived an old mother toad

And her little toadie, one;

"Wink!" said the mother,

"I wink," said the one,

So she winked and she blinked

In the sand, in the sun.

Over in the meadow

Where the stream runs blue,

Lived an old mother fish

And her little fishes, two;

"Swim!" said the mother,

"We swim," said the two,

So they swam and they leapt

Where the stream runs blue.

Over in the meadow

In a hole in a tree,

Lived a mother bluebird

And her little birdies, three;

"Sing!" said the mother,

"We sing," said the three,

So they sang and were glad

In the hole in the tree.

Over in the meadow

In the reeds on the shore,

Lived a mother muskrat

And her little ratties, four;

"Dive!" said the mother,

"We dive," said the four,

So they dived and they burrowed

In the reeds on the shore.

Over in the meadow

In a snug bee-hive,

Lived a mother honey-bee

And her little honeys, five;

"Buzz!" said the mother,

"We buzz," said the five,

So they buzzed and they hummed

In the snug bee-hive.

Over in the meadow

In a nest built of sticks,

Lived a black mother crow

And her little crows, six;

"Caw!" said the mother,

"We caw," said the six,

So they cawed and they called

In their nest built of sticks.

Over in the meadow

Where the grass is so even,

Lived a gay mother cricket

And her little crickets, seven;

"Chirp!" said the mother,

"We chirp," said the seven,

So they chirped cheery notes

In the grass green and even.

Over in the meadow

By the old mossy gate,

Lived a brown mother lizard

And her little lizards, eight;

"Bask!" said the mother

"We bask," said the eight,

So they basked in the sun

On the old mossy gate.

Over in the meadow

Where the clear pools shine,

Lived a green mother frog

And her little froggies, nine;

"Croak!" said the mother,

"We croak," said the nine,

So they croaked and they splashed

Where the clear pools shine.

Over in the meadow

In a sly little den,

Lived a gray mother spider

And her little spiders, ten;

"Spin!" said the mother,

"We spin," said the ten,

So they spun lace webs

In their sly little den.

Over in the meadow

In the soft summer even,

Lived a mother fire-fly

And her little flies, eleven;

"Shine!" said the mother,

"We shine," said th' eleven,

So they shone like stars

In the soft summer even.

Over in the meadow

Where the men dig and delve,

Lived a wise mother ant,

And her little anties, twelve;

"Toil!" said the mother,

"We toil," said the twelve,

So they toiled and were wise,

Where the men dig and delve.

-- Katherine Floyd-Dana, aka Olive A. Wadsworth (1835-1886)

Happiness is the Lodge 12 inch, 6 quart camp oven, for when the shtf or anytime

There's your regular one, and your deep one. I bought the regular one on deep discount this summer, heh heh, for when the shtf, since I plan to shelter in place. The thing comes ready to go right out of the box, pre-seasoned in the factory. I'm breaking it in inside first, with a few recipes for breads, beans, and roasts before I use it outside on charcoal. For a hoot give a look at the Backwoods Gourmet YouTube Channel to see what using this type of equipment is all about. That Florida boy knows his stuff.

Happiness is homegrown organic San Marzano tomatoes

We are recently harvesting these organic San Marzano tomatoes grown from seeds we bought in March from Johnny's Selected Seeds. These are perfect sliced on the Saturday night pizza, on the BLTs at lunch, and of course for sauce. Wonderfully petite and sweet.

Happiness is a grilled Boar's Head veal and pork brat and some late summer, local farmer's sweet corn for a sunny, Saturday lunch

The pre-cooked brat browns up quickly over a charcoal fire, five minutes a side or so. Available at D&W Fresh Markets in Michigan, they are pricey at $2.00 per sausage, but they are worth it. Delicious served with some Dijon mustard.

Happiness is the era of the Palindrome Weeks

Happiness is a cat 3 hurricane

Happiness is George Thorogood's 1992 hit Get a Haircut (and Get a Real Job)

George Thorogood And The Destroyers - Get A Haircut

Happiness is a breezy summer day in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Happiness is getting your tires at Sam's Club

Ye olde TPMS indicator light came on yesterday (that's the Tire Pressure Monitoring System indicator light for you folks way out there in Whack Jack, Pakistan), and a rear tire was found to be down to 15 lbs. of air pressure. Refilled, it was down again overnight, 2 lbs.

So it was Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Sam's I Go this morning.  They found a little bitty nail in the tire and repaired the hole it made. For FREE. Because I bought the tires there.

Just one more reason to make Sam's Club your tire center of choice. 

Happiness is red beans and rice, even if you don't have any red beans, just use whatever beans you have

Red Beans and Rice (h/t Rosso & Lukins)

1 pound navy beans, soaked overnight in the frig
2 cups chicken broth or made from bouillon cube
2.5 cups San Marzano tomato puree
2 bay leaves
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t Tabasco sauce
4 andouille sausages
1/2 t salt
1 t granulated onion
1/4 t garlic powder
1 cup white rice, boiled, drained and buttered


1) Drain beans and parboil covered in fresh water in a covered 3 quart dutch oven: Bring to a boil and shut off the heat for an hour, boil it again and shut off the heat for an hour, then bring to a boil for a third time and let simmer for an hour or two on low until the beans are tender.

2) Drain the beans and return to the dutch oven; add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and Tabasco, sausages, salt, onion and garlic; bring to a boil, cover, and bake in a 350 degree F oven for an hour.

3) Boil the rice in 6 cups or so of salted water 15-20 minutes, just like pasta, stirring frequently but gently; drain and reserve rice in a buttered bowl covered in the warm oven (h/t James Peterson).

4) Add more Worcestershire and/or Tabasco to taste, if desired. Serves 3-4 over rice with plenty of beans left over for the morning toast.

Happiness is the new British prime minister recognizing International Cat Day yesterday

Number 10 Downing Street's "Larry" bears a striking resemblance to yours truly's Buddy, who by the way is also the picture of health today. We found a worm on her behind after all and wormed her. And now she's like a new cat! Sometimes veterinarians know NOTHING, except how to take our money.

Happiness is a sammich

The MLT, mutton lettuce and tomato, is notably missing.

Happiness is the humbler joys of homefelt quiet

Happy next him who to these shades retires,

Whom nature charms, and whom the muse inspires,

Whom humbler joys of homefelt quiet please,

Successive study, exercise, and ease.

-- Alexander Pope