with a grain of salt, then you’ll have to get a salt lick large enough for 40 cows to believe some of the things that Donald Trump tries to tell you as truth.
President Trump in an interview with Terry Moran would not let Moran disagree that the actual tattoo had “MS 13” on it. This was the photo he was referencing. Maybe the symbols might represent “MS13” but almost any idiot would understand that the photo is a “doctored” (photoshopped) photo and that the “MS13” showing in the picture were not actually embedded in the skin. The thought is, “what an idiot.”
Trying to make an ass of Moran, but making a bigger ass of himself.
Let’s list the beans I have tried in my lifetime, and also a few that I might want to try in the future. Think of this as as Index to Beans, Peas & Some Exceptions:
As dry beans they have a distinct look: pink or beige with purple/burgundy striations. When cooked they lose these distinctive striations, and take on a cooked brown pinto bean look. They also have the flavor of pinto beans.
NOTE [05/14/25]: I was just looking through my various “beans, beans, beans” articles and happened to notice for the first time that the October Beans I had bought at the State Farmers Market in Asheville several years ago, looked much like the Borlotti/Cranberry/Roman Beans I had tried some time later. It was an episode of one of the Jamie Oliver cooking shows where he cooked the Borlotti Beans and I decided to try them. I had been oblivious to theses beans until that point.
I enjoyed the flavor of these beans in a recipe which paired them with Red Chard. I think I bought a bag of the dry Cranberry Beans at IGA (or at least I recall seeing a bag of them there). I later saw cans of Roman Beans at Walmart.
Yes. When I just googled, October Beans are synonymous with the same bean, named otherwise. A bean by any other name would smell as sweet… Borlotti, Cranberry, October or Roman Bean. [end NOTE]
October Bean PodsCranberry/October BeansBorlotti/Cranberry October/Roman Beans
Cooking the Borlotti Beans (skip this stage if using canned beans)
Instant Pot Method
Put the borlotti beans, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns into the Instant pot and cover with about 1.5 litres/qt of water.
Cook under pressure for 35 minutes then test for doneness. The beans should be soft and creamy. Cook in 5 minute bursts until done.
Stove-top method
Put the borlotti beans, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns into a large pan and cover with about 1.5 litres/qt of water.Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently (partially covered) for about 1 1/2 hours on a slow simmer until the borlotti beans are soft and creamy.
Drain the beans and discard the water, onion and bay leaf and set aside.
Making the dish
If you’re using canned beans, drain well and set aside.
Strip the leaves from the chard and roughly chop. Finely dice the stems and set aside.
Fry the onion, chard stems and sage leaves gently in the olive oil for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and golden.
Add the garlic and fry briefly before adding the chard leaves. Let these sauté for 3-4 minutes until they’re wilted before returning the borlotti beans to the pan along with the stock.
Stir well to incorporate everything and let it sizzle for 3-4 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed. Remove from the heat.
Season with salt & pepper and fish out the sage leaves and discard.
Serve hot or at room temperature with a generous dusting of cheese (if using) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
Change up the beans
In Italy, you can also make this dish with white beans or cannellini beans. But honestly, any bean will do.
Add a little meat
For a meaty version, you could fry some pancetta, or Italian sausage with the onion and chard.
Change up the greens
I make this dish mostly with chard, but it’ll work equally well with cavolo nero cabbage, kale or collard greens too.
Storage
Fridge: Keep in an airtight container for up to a week and eat either at room temperature or warm.
Freezer: The beans will be good for 3+ months in an airtight container or freezer bag. I like to freeze them in portion sizes. That way, if I’m looking for an easy side dish, I can whip this out of the freezer, minus effort and fuss.
I first saw the above Emile Henry Flame Top 2-2/3-Quart Round Oven, Red on an episode of a Jacques Pepin cooking show. He was talking about how at the end of the day, for professional chefs in the city, they would congregate somewhere and enjoy a group meal. He showed one of these, prepared in a beautiful red pot, and he added whole, uncooked eggs, on top the finish the soup. My attention was riveted upon the red pot and later I googled and found the episode’s YouTube video. Somewhere in all of that I found that the pot was made by the Emil Henry Company (French, I think.) and I ended up buying one.
I fixed some French Onion Soup in it once, and then didn’t use it for about 9 years. Yes, that’s years. The company touted that you could use this pot on the stove top or in the oven. I feel uncomfortable with putting a ceramic pot on the stove top, but as I recall, it didn’t break.
I finally gave Jacquelyn Sharpe this red pot. It’s probably too small for someone that is cooking for five.
I’m not even sure I really like this recipe, nor remember all of the ingredients I put in it, but I do like the Mayocoba beans. This soup ended up with an hot, acrid (turmeric, lime juice, cilantro leaves), citrusy accent. Not what I would usually be attracted to, but this was oddly pleasing.
[NOTE 0709/25]: This time I used hot sausage instead of “seasoning meat.” I am in wonder at how I got or even more so, miraculously created this recipe. I don’t see anything referencing an existing online recipe for this. However, I am strangely attracted to the acrid flavor of this soup. I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted another soup like this, and if I were starting from scratch, never having cooked mayocoba beans before, why would I add roasted tomatoes, green chilis, cilantro and lime juice to it.
I don’t recall the mayocoba beans taking a long time to soften, but they are this time. This has led be to think that cannellini or navy beans might work just as well, and even black beans. Maybe even combining a black & white bean in the one soup.
[end NOTE]
Mayocoba beans
Roasted tomatoes, roasted
Seasoning meat
Green chilis, diced
Cilantro leaves
Turmeric powder
Garlic powder
Cumin powder
Chicken broth
Lime juice
Agave Nectar
Equal sweetener
S&P
Finished soup.Seasoning meat viewed from the edge.
Mayocoba beans: ½ cup (dry) Diced roasted tomatoes: 1 (15 oz) can Seasoned pork: 3 oz. Diced green chilis: 1 (4 oz) can of GV Green Chilis (adjust to your spice preference) Cilantro leaves: ¼ cup, chopped Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon (powdered) Ground cumin: ¼ teaspoon Powdered garlic: ¼ teaspoon Chicken broth: 2-3 cups (adjust for desired thickness) Lime juice: 1-2 tablespoons (to taste) Agave Nectar: ½ – 1 teaspoon (to taste) Equal sweetener: ½ – 1 packet (to taste) Salt and Pepper (S&P): To taste
Estimated Amount Produced:
Still approximately 4 to 5 cups total, or two servings of roughly 2 to 2.5 cups each.
Revised General Calorie Count Information (Estimates):
Mayocoba beans (½ cup dry ≈ 1 cup cooked): Around 200-250 calories.
Diced roasted tomatoes (15 oz can): Around 70-100 calories.
Seasoned pork (3 oz, equal lean and fat): Around 200-250 calories.
GV Green Chilis (4 oz can): Around 20-30 calories.
Equal sweetener (½ – 1 packet): Around 0-5 calories.
Salt and Pepper: Negligible calories.
Revised Estimated Totals:
Estimated Total Calories for the Entire Pot: Roughly in the range of 530 to 730+ calories.
Estimated Calories per Serving (approximately 2 to 2.5 cups): Roughly in the range of 265 to 365+ calories.
NOTE [08/27/25]: I tried again. I soaked the beans with some salt in the water overnight. I drained and rinsed the beans before starting to cook them. I don’t recall if I started with 1/2 or 1 Cup of dry beans, but this made enough for two “good” helpings. I also added 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the water when I started to cook them. I cooked in a pot on the stove top, uncovered, for at least an hour. The beans softened perfectly. I smushed some of them, like I do blackeyed peas to thicken the broth. I added some diced seasoning ham toward the end. These turned out very well. *But, last time, something was wrong. Don’t know if I should have pre-soaked them, or if adding the baking soda did the job. Last time the beans would not soften. **The first time I cooked them, they must have turned out well because I made a note that they were pleasant. They are soft and a little creamy. [end NOTE]
I’m 71 years old and today is “Mother’s Day” 2025.
My mother was born on February, 22, 1915.
My mother died on December 16, 1980 at the Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She had suffered for several months with Leukemia. I was 26 years old when she died. During her working life, as I knew her, she weight around 116 pounds, but at the end, she had lost weight and only weighed about 84 pounds. “Skin and bones” and too weak to walk.
*Colonel Harlan Sanders (KFC fame) died the same day as my mom, and he too had Leukemia. They were not the same age.
Vivian Inez Morton Gibson, second from the right.
For most of her later life, she worked as a Civil Service Clerk Typist, and much of that aboard the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base near Jacksonville, North Carolina. She would leave the house at the corner of Queens Creek Road and Highway 24 at about 7:30 am each work day, and then return home about 5 pm. The drive was about 30 minutes each way, and she had a 30 minutes Lunch. *This was probably the time when she worked at Building 66, which was the “Naval Medical Field Research” Building. The short explanation was that they blew up army boot, with real human cadaver feet in them to measure the effects of an explosion on the human body. They probably did a bunch of other things we don’t really want to know about because I also got my Collie, which I called “Lassie” from one of the dogs that they used for testing purposes. The names of the people she worked with at Building 66 included Barbara Brainerd, Robin Short and Rip Jackson. **Rip Jackson helped her get Lassie, and some years later, she gave him the money and he bought fishing tackle for me which included a Penn Peerless No.9 Reel, a rod, a tackle box and assorted lures, of which there was a shiny white shrimp lure which had three pronged hooks. I still think that it would have scared away more fish than it would have attracted. I’m not sure that I ever caught a single fish with any of that tackle, but I still have the Penn reel. ***Mom took me out on Christmas morning and we went fishing at the Bogue Sound Fishing Peer (Atlantic Ocean). We didn’t catch anything and there was an old fisherman that was reeling one after another in… until we sidled up beside him, and scared the fish away. He moved.
She also worked as a secretary at the Labor Board, which was located at the entrance to Camp Lejeune (Main Gate). That building is no longer there, but was iconic for many years.
She worked several years at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. For several years she lived with her sister, Zeta Littleton, “Aunt Pete.” Aunt Pete’s home was at 521 Riverside Drive, and the Naval Hospital was about 35 blocks away near the other end of High Street. I don’t think they had opened London Blvd, which cut the travel time greatly. High Street had many stop lights for many but not all street blocks.
She was a fast reader. I recall once that I was sitting on a couch, reading a letter from my girlfriend Debbie, and my mother was standing behind me. I am a slow reader. At some point, my mom asked me a question about something that was in the letter, and I hadn’t gotten to that point yet. I pulled the letter from out of her view. I didn’t expect there to be anything that Debbie would say in a letter, that I might not want my mother to read, but I knew I didn’t want to take the chance.
She liked to work outside, in the yard. She might dig in the dirt and plant flowers around 204 Johnson Blvd. in Jacksonville, or mow the yard sometime with a small push mower. *I actually liked mowing the lawn, with either a push mower, or when mowing at Mary Ann’s, using one of their riding mowers. It’s relaxing to sit and think as you mow, and all you have to do is make sure you “don’t miss a spot.”
I do recall that once I moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina to work (in August of 1995) and there was no one living at 204 Johnson Blvd., I still kept a small mower in the house there. This worked for quite a while, maybe several years, but then one day when I came into the house in Jacksonville, I saw signs that someone had been sleeping in the house and there was a orange painted X-acto knife on the floor. I presume for protection. But, the small lawn mower was missing. Damn. I had to go to Sears in the Mall and found a used push mower for sale. It was about a horse power and a half stronger than the mower that had been stolen. It was a good price and I bought it.
I filled the new mower with gas, and checked the oil, and started to mow and to my surprise I finished mowing at least a half hour faster than I was used to completing the yard. It does make a difference when you have more power. The blade must cut easier through the grass. Almost imperceptible to the mower, but not to the overall process. I kept the new mower down at Mary Ann’s and would load it onto my truck (the Dodge RAM 1500 – Blue & Silver, extended cab) take it to Jacksonville, unload it an mow and then load it back up to return to Mary Ann’s barn in Hubert. This worked fine I think for a couple of years and then one day, I off loaded the mower from the truck, and then was unable to start it. I had to load it back up without having mowed the yard. I think I got Ray to mow, although he had other things to do.
Mom wasn’t a great cook, but she could make a delicious “fried chicken” dinner, and with that she made some good potato salad which would include large diced white potatoes, onion, sweet relish, mayo and some sugar. *I haven’t made any potato salad, or German potato salad in a while. I like both, but don’t need the starch. With the fried chicken and potato salad, we might have some corn (from the can or on the cob), garden peas, sliced tomato and some dinner rolls. And that’s another thing that I rarely have (if ever) those “store bought” dinner rolls. Maybe a little margarine spread on one.
Once or twice a year she would make a meal of corned beef, potatoes, and onion stew. I do recall us eating boiled crabs one time. She spread newspapers on the table and put the plates with the steamed crabs on the paper. As we broke the shells and ate the crab meat, we would put the shells around the plate on the paper. After we were done it was simple to remove the plates and cutlery, and then just fold the newspaper up with the shells inside and throw it all it the trash.
I don’t recall what our standard fare was for dining each night, but I know it improved greatly when we moved to Hubert to live with Aunt Sis (Carrie Kellum). Sis was a great cook. I recall after mom moved to Portsmouth to live and work, I remained in Hubert to finish my schooling at Swansboro. I would arrive back home about 4 pm each school day, after an hour ride on the yellow school bus, and rush inside to watch “Dark Shadows.” Before I went back to my room to watch TV, I would snag something to eat. And my Junior year, I got into the habit of mixing lemonade, without any sugar or sweetener, in a little round orange plastic jug. I think the jug was a promotional gimmick by one of the juice companies. It had a handle. I would drink a lot of unsweetened lemonade and the result must have been eating less and ultimately losing a bunch of weight.
I lost so much weight my Junior year that I was able to do “one handed” pull ups either over or under handed on the children’s swing at the side of my aunt’s house. I even thought about trying out for college football, but that was a really stupid idea that I never followed through on.
Each day, Sis would have at least two different meats on the stove, and three different veggies. It might be fried or stewed chicken, or some kind of cooked pork or beef, green beans, boiled potatoes, green lima beans, black eyed peas, corn, or tomatoes. As the week progressed, she would rotate the different veggies and at the end of the week, any left over veggies would probably go into a delicious vegetable soup. *We didn’t have Vidalia onions back then. I think she did cut up cucumbers & onion with a little vinegar and sugar. The vinegar would have been Apple Cider vinegar, and if we had sweet bell peppers they would have been green. They didn’t offer different colors of bell peppers until I was an adult.
The two main things I learned to love from my Aunt Sis, who was like my second momma, was the love of food, and the love of riding around in her car. For most of my life I’ve enjoyed getting in my car and riding around the neighborhood… and the neighborhood got further and further away from home through the years. I do love watching TV and movies on TV, but riding around is always sure to provide something new to see.
I’ve lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina for 30 years. My journeys have gotten progressively further from home in all directions. At points around the clock. 12 noon would be Raleigh, or maybe as far as Henderson, Oxford or Roxboro. Louisburg, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Wilson, Greenville, Goldsboro, Mount Olive, Clinton, Elizabethtown, Whiteville, Tabor City, Conway (SC), Florence (SC), Bennettsville (SC), Cheraw (SC), Laurinburg, Hamlet, Rockingham, Albemarle, Robbins, Asheboro, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. I especially have fallen in love with Asheboro in the past year. But I also love Asheville and visited about five weeks before Hurricane Helene came through last year. A wonderful short visit, and a shame about the devastation.
David’s for breakfast05/12/25Randolph County LibrarySpicy Black Bean & Tomato SoupNo. 1 China Buffet
I like to eat at David’s for breakfast, and No. 1 Chinese Buffet in Asheboro. This Chinese restaurant reminds me of many of the Chinese restaurants I’ve eaten at through the years. I feel comfortable at the main library, reading the current issue of “Our State” Magazine. *Elizabeth Hudson, the current Editor, is from Asheboro originally. *I saw no current issue on the racks during this visit & I looked. I did look through a couple of cookbooks, one on bread. *It was a rainy day in Asheboro (05/12/25). I came back to Fayetteville via back roads through Coleridge and Bennett, with a little detour along the way.
Stitch Pattern Cams for Zig Zag Sewing Machine
Back to mom:
At some point, she bought a Singer Zig Zag sewing machine and learned how to make her dresses for work using Butterick, Simplicity & McCalls patterns. She would wait for the Pic-n-Pay or Thom McAnn stores to have their shoe sales that happened about every six months, and then buy several pairs of cheap shoes. Maybe even a dollar a pair. The pairs of shoes would last until the next shoe sale before they began to wear out.
Mom, Mustang in front of 521 Riverside Drive Portsmouth VA c1970
I’m not sure if she was ever “self conscious” about the cheap shoes & hand bags, and her homemade dresses. If so I don’t recall her saying so. But, as an adult (now) I would think that would have been in the mix. It’s human nature, but she did what she did. I guess you wear cheap shoes, and carry inexpensive purses, and wear dresses you’ve made so that you could give “Little Billie” a brand new car his Senior year.
I recall that my mom was a G.S. 4 along with a group of other secretaries and at some point they all got promoted to G.S. 5’s but she was not. It was never clear to me why, and I’m not sure it was clear to her either. It could have been office politics. *Mom would come home from work and then she would “unload” on me her adult problems. I’m not sure how old I was, but one day she had been telling me her problems and then she stopped and said, “You’re not listening to me.” My reply was that I didn’t listen to her the first time she told me something about her work problems. I said, the second time she repeated the story, I listened for key points, and the third time she repeated the story, I listened and asked questions (if I was interested). I’m not sure if this stopped her from dumping her adult problems on me.
She didn’t remarry, and the main reason I gleaned was because she was afraid of getting pregnant again. The doctors had told her she might die if she ever had another child. She never dated again, and I never recall her mentioning anyone who was a “love interest.”
My dad, Billy Gene Gibson, was much younger than my mother. He was a Marine when they met and then married. Mom was 39 years old when I was born and I always thought that was “old,” but through the years it’s no longer old to be 39 or older and have a baby. I think dad was 25 when I was born.
My dad left my mother shortly before I started 1st Grade, and I only saw him twice in 19 years after that. One time he came up from Georgia and we stood beside his car, parked by the old house on Queens Creek Road. That location would now be where the current Swansboro Burger King is located. *I recall three things from this visit:
Bill’s brother, Lewis, came up with him on this trip to N.C. Lewis was bald, and he was sleeping on the backseat of the car. I thought it was a mannequin laying on the seat and my dad and I had talked for a long while before Lewis moved. I jumped and said something to the effect, “I thought that was a dummy.”
At some point my dad pointed out, and picked up a silver dollar from the side of the road, and gave it to me. It was shiny and almost new looking. I think the date on it was 1885. At some later point I wanted to make it shinier and I started to shine it with sandpaper. Cringe if you need to. Yeah, it only took a stroke or two for me to see that the sandpaper was scratching the coin’s surface, and I stopped. I later also poured a coating of some painter’s oil on the coin and it gave it a brownish patina. *Years later, the thought came to me that my dad might have dropped the coin for me to find, but he never said anything about this. Still, it would be hard to imagine that an almost pristine silver dollar could lay in the dirt from about 1885 until the 1960’s untarnished.
My dad gave me a slot car and hand controller. The car had copper tubing for it’s frame and a plastic body that could easily be replaced. I think it was a Cox controller, which I seem to recall the sound of a spring inside it squeaking as you pressed the speed plunger. I never made it to the commercial slot car track at Ron-Cor in Jacksonville to try it out. Or, at least I don’t think I did.
My dad’s second visit happened on a Sunday when I was either in 11th or 12th Grade. He was dressed in a sports coat, and had a hat on. We rode around in his car for about an hour talking.
1964.5 Mustang 521 Riverside Drive Portsmouth VA c1970
My mom bought a brand new Ford Mustang, a 1964 1/2 model. A few did come out before 1965. It was Prairie Bronze in color and a 2+2 Fastback. She paid about $2,800 for the car which was about what she made in a year working as a secretary. It was the first car we had that had a rear seat that folded down so that you could put “long stuff” in the car that was in the trunk & car interior. Some young Marines stole the Mustang from our garage and took it for a “joy” ride and wrecked it over near the Stella bridge. Mom never thought the car ran quite as good after that. I think it had been turned on it’s side or upside down and the battery acid had leaked on the inside under the hood.
Amazing that brand new cars could go from being less than $3K a year to now $50K or more, easily.
I’ve had several cars in my lifetime that had fold down rear seats. The Mazda 626 had a split fold down seat. One side had a narrower fold down seat than the one beside it. The AMC Pacer (butterscotch in color) that we had had a fold down rear seat which provide a large area for carrying stuff.
My mom also bought me a brand new 1971 Pontiac LeMans (blue body and white roof) for my senior year at Swansboro High School. Oh my gosh! What a woman! I had the car for a year, and then when I started college, UNC-Chapel Hill in 1972, I couldn’t have a car as a Freshman, so mom took the LeMans.
It’s a little blurry, but one year (1970 – 72) mom was living and working up in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was still driving the Prairie Bronze Mustang. My prom (one of them) was coming up and she was supposed to drive down from Portsmouth so that I could drive the Mustang to the Prom.
It was getting to be late on a Friday, and when she finally drove up into Aunt Sis’s yard, she was driving a light blue Mustang. The story was that she had been taking the Mustang into the car dealer to have it tuned up for me, and someone had motioned her across lanes of traffic. She pulled out, and someone was coming and hit her. *I’ve never seen anyone bruised as badly as my mom. Her whole left side was a solid bruise. She must have been knocked hard against her driver’s side door during the impact.
They had repaired the car. Now that I think about it, it was in surprisingly good condition, except for the light blue paint job. She didn’t have time to let the paint dry and had to take it out to drive down, and sand had gotten in the wet paint and dried. It was like a rough light blue sandpaper. Oh, and the car was missing a couple of hub caps. Seems like we went out on Saturday morning and she bought a couple of used Mustang hub caps, so that I could drive the car to my prom. that night. *That must have been the prom in 1970 because mom bought the 1971 LeMans for my Senior year.
The John Yancey Motor Hotel on Atlantic Beach.
I must have confused the two proms. One prom I took Debbie, but the other I took Rida Ring. And one prom I took my date and Steve Cooper & his date and when I got to the prom, I had forgotten my tickets. Instead of going inside to straighten it all out, I let Steve out and drove all the way back to Sis’s to get my tickets. What a stupid ass. I could have saved all that time by just talking to a teacher and proving that I had paid for tickets later. The prom was at the John Yancey on Atlantic Beach which was closer to Atlantic Beach than to Bogue Sound, so that was a long way back and then back to the Prom.
I didn’t treat Rida well. I was selfish and inconsiderate. Nothing I can do about that now, but I am sorry and you were more than right to be angry at me.
At one of the proms, the Drifters were supposed to play. But, they had just come out with their new hit, “Far Away Places” and they backed out of our gig. I don’t recall who played, or if it was just recorded music. I didn’t realize until just now that this song had been made popular first by Bing Crosby back in 1948. But, this “Far Away Places” became “Beach Music” to me.
I just used Google Maps to figure out how many miles I drove one time on a date with Debbie. I was living in Hubert with my Aunt Sis. I drove down to Holly Lane in Cape Carteret to pick Debbie up at her house. We then drove back, through Hubert and in to Jacksonville to the Northwoods Rocking Chair Theater but nothing was playing that we wanted to see, so… We drove back through Hubert, through Cape Carteret and all the way down to Morehead City. We may have seen a movie down there (maybe not). But then I came back to Cape Carteret to drop Debbie off at her house, and then finally I drove back to Hubert. When I just mapped this route out it came to 116 miles and about 2 hours and 49 minutes of drive time. I don’t think we thought a thing about this. *I know we saw a Barbara Streisand movie down in Morehead City one time. It could have been the one with Omar Shariff. Maybe not because “Funny Girl” came out in 1968 and I wouldn’t have been driving yet.
This has nothing to do with Mother’s Day, my mom, or much of anything else. But, the prom that I took Debbie to, John Sharp, Steve Cooper and myself stayed in John’s dad’s camper at “the Point.” We drank Boone’s Farm Apple & Strawberry wine. The next morning I was going to see Debbie, but the new bridge hadn’t been opened to the public yet. John drove me to the beach side of the bridge and I had on my brand new black dress shoes that I had bought for the prom. They couldn’t drive across the bridge yet, so I started walking across the bridge and it didn’t take me too long before I wore blisters on the heels of both of my feet and had to take my new shoes off and walk barefoot. **Oh yeah, and John and Coop would have to drive all the way back to Atlantic Beach cross over and come back home on Highway 24. Not sure if they still had the auto ferry running, but I’ve always remembered this story as their having to drive all that way just because the new bridge wasn’t opened yet. ***No, if the ferry was still running, we would have just crossed over and I wouldn’t have had to walk.
So the DOT maintenance people had planted grass seed along the new road, and then spread out straw and then sprayed the straw with tar. This would keep the straw down on the ground protecting the new grass seed. Well, it didn’t take long for me walking barefoot through this straw and tar to have it cake on the bottoms of my feet and I didn’t need shoes. But, what a mess! I don’t recall how long it took me to get all that mess off my feet (days), but needless to say, I couldn’t go in the Sutton’s house. Debbie did drive me back home to Sis’s house in Hubert.
Steve Cooper died before our 20th Swansboro High School Class Reunion. I walked into the reunion and looked on the wall and saw Steve’s picture on the wall with about three other persons. I asked why his picture was on the wall and they told me he had died of a heart attack. *I guess that’s why we stopped conversing via emails. He was doing some interesting things with beaming home, color video, up to a satellite as it would pass overhead. Sort of a “high tech” version of Ham Radio. He also had a job working with a computer mainframe at (??? maybe) the University of Nebraska Hospital. Funny. I had just started my new job at Fayetteville State University for about $27K a year and he told me that as a signing bonus, the hospital had given him $27K. My yearly salary was his signing bonus. I think he was also married to a surgeon and that was at a $1 Mill a year salary, at least.
On steps in Portsmouth, VA c1930sOn the MercuryMom mowing at Morton Family Cemetery c1960sMorton Family Cemetery cPresent DayMom’s Grave Marker
I just noted in the above images that when mom was mowing at the cemetery, there is no headstone for her mother, but there appears to be a marker at that location. In the present day image of the cemetery, there is a marker for her mother in the same style as her father’s headstone.
I don’t recall “the Mercury” but, the story was that they used to park their car(s) on Johnson Blvd., in front of the house at 204 Johnson Blvd. That was until someone ran into the parked Mercury and totaled it. *I never thought to ask if the carport hadn’t existed before the Mercury was totaled, but if it had there would have been no reason to park on Johnson Blvd.
Sourdough bread generally has a lower glycemic index (around 54) compared to white bread (around 71) and even some whole wheat breads (also around 71). The GI measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels.
The fermentation process involved in making sourdough bread is believed to contribute to this lower GI. The bacteria in the sourdough starter consume some of the carbohydrates, and the acids produced during fermentation can slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.
This slower release of glucose into the bloodstream can help prevent sharp blood sugar spikes, which is beneficial for managing diabetes.
Other Potential Benefits:
Improved Digestion: The fermentation process can break down some of the gluten and phytates in wheat, potentially making sourdough bread easier to digest for some people.
Enhanced Nutrient Absorption: The reduction in phytates during fermentation may also improve the absorption of certain minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc.
Prebiotics: Sourdough starter contains prebiotics, which can feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut, promoting a healthy gut microbiome.
The sourdough English muffins did make a beautiful Bill McMuffin, and I especially enjoyed the fresh Hatfield ham, with the Wegman’s White American Cheese and an egg cooked in the onion cooker in my microwave.
I rarely eat two slices of bread when having a hamburger or other sandwich meat. I’ll put the hamburger on a single slice of bread and put the slices of sweet onion, mustard & catchup beside it. I use a fork and just cut up a little meat, and add the other items to it. It satisfies my hunger for a “tasty” burger and keeps my blood sugar a little lower.
SPROUTED BREADS
Low Sodium 7 Grain Sprouted Bread ALDIs
Lower Glycemic Index (GI): Sprouting grains can lower the glycemic index of bread. The GI measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. Foods with a lower GI are generally better for blood sugar control. Some sources indicate sprouted grains have a GI around 15 or 45, both considered low.
Higher Fiber Content: Sprouted grains often have a higher fiber content compared to non-sprouted refined grains. Fiber slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, leading to a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
Increased Nutrient Availability: The sprouting process can increase the bioavailability of certain nutrients, meaning your body can absorb them more easily. It can also reduce antinutrients like phytic acid, which can hinder mineral absorption.
Lower Carbohydrate Content: Sprouting can partially break down the starches in grains, potentially lowering the overall carbohydrate content compared to some other breads.
More Protein: Sprouted grains can have a slightly higher protein content, which can contribute to satiety and help manage blood sugar levels.
I really like the “Knock Your Sprouts Off” sprouted bread, but the slices are smaller than the Ezekiel 4:9 bread. The Ezekiel bread comes frozen. It has good flavor but slightly less flavorful than the “Knock” bread. I’ll eventually get tired of the seeded bread and put the fresh baked sourdough bread back in the mix. The Publix staff are willing to slice the loaves for me and only sell me a half loaf if I ask.
I’ve added a picture of a breakfast with egg salad on toasted bread, mashed avocado and sliced grape tomatoes. I make a good egg salad using two hard boiled eggs (about 9 minutes cooking time), Dukes Mayo, celery seeds, garlic powder, Dulse, ground Long Pepper & salt, and some grass fed butter. I may even throw in some Fenugreek & cayenne powder.
I’ve now added the possibility of the ALDIs Low-Sodium 7 Grain Sprouted Bread. Not sure if ALDIs is changing the name from “Knock Your Sprouts Off” to just “Sprouted 7 Grain” bread.
Thomas Keto Plain Bagel Thins
These were very good for my homemade pizza. Pizza @ Home (Cibatta Rolls) When you split one of these bagels, you have two thin layers of bread as a base. 2g Net Carbs, low calories and relatively low sodium.
BLUE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS
Glycemic Index: The Glycemic Index measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels.
Regular tortilla chips have a reported GI of around 70, which is considered high.
Blue corn tortilla chips have a reported GI of 42, which is considered low.
Anthocyanins: Blue corn contains anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that may help slow down digestion and absorption of glucose, potentially leading to a lower blood sugar response.
Whole Grain: Some blue corn tortilla chips are made with whole grain corn, which provides more fiber. Fiber can help regulate blood sugar levels.
The “Get Dippin’ Blue Corn Tortilla Chips” from Wegman’s had good flavor and they were shaped like little taco shell bowls (but much smaller).
I’ve tried the blue corn taco shells and they have good flavor, but they also break apart easily when eating them. I came across a Black Bean & Quinoa (and corn) recipe that also worked well with homemade salsa and quacamole. The quinoa dish has a good underlying flavor. Add a little sour cream and some blue corn chips and you’ve go a winner. I didn’t heat the taco shells so that may help them not break apart so easily. I need to find a microwave friendly taco shell warmer. Ceramic or microwave safe plastic?
NOTE [10/01/25]: I was in Lowe’s Foods in the Cleveland Area (where Hwy 42 and Hwy 50 intersect) today and as I went down on aisle, I saw these Tostitos Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and decided to buy a bag. How ortuitous. When I got the bag open and pulled out my first chip, it was enormous. And when I bit into it, it was delicious. In fact of all the blue corn tortilla chips I’ve tried, this was the best tasting blue corn chip I’ve ever tasted. Seems like all the others had some kind of aftertaste, some as if they had been burnt. If they can keep the quality of this chip like the first bag, I am hooked. And it has relatively little sodium, no sugars and the chip is salty enough to be satisfying.
Walmart has this brand listed online for $4.48.[end]
WONTON STRIPS
I use these on my Wakame Seaweed Salad and in various soups & stews. They have little nutritional value or fiber. They have no fiber, nor added sugar, and only a slight amount of sodium, but they do add a pleasing crunch. I think of them as a “freebie,” adding a little flavor & texture but not affecting the blood sugar levels negatively. *I’ve bought these at Walmart and now at $T.
TORTILLA STRIPS
I saw these multicolored tortilla strips on the salad bar at the IGA in Lillington a week or so ago. They had them for sale at IGA but I thought the price was a little high (over $3) so I decided to look elsewhere. I’ve now seen them at $T (but a smaller bag I think)
RICE THINS & CRACKERS
I thought the rice crackers were diabetic friendly, but I see from the AI that they are not. They do have a good flavor, especially the Black Sesame Rice Crackers. I don’t eat them very often any more. I have a couple of packages of polenta, but haven’t been eating that much lately either. I’ve tried heating the polenta up in my waffle iron, and it was good, but never browned nicely. *I’ve got a new waffle iron that heats & cooks quickly, and I’m going to try polenta in it. I also have a new Toaster/Air Fryer Oven and if the polenta waffles don’t brown, I might transfer them into the oven and see if they will brown up.
„Wie dumpf die Totenglocke tönt, horch, horch! Dem besten aller Könige, Georg!“
Solchermaßen hatte ein Bürger von Bristol in der „Morgenchronik“ seine poetischen wie auch seine patriotischen Gefühle ausgelebt; und am 30. Oktober 1760 wurde dann die Thronbesteigung eines neuen Georg gebührend, wenn auch recht bescheiden, gefeiert, indem das Fest die Stadtbehörden auf ganze hundertneunundzwanzig Pfund Sterling zu stehen kam. Diese Sparsamkeit der öffentlichen Hand (die ganz nach dem Sinn desjenigen war, zu dessen Ehren sie sich äußerte) wurde in den Kreisen der lebenslustigen Jungvolkes stark beanstandet, da dieses, durch den sich in die Länge ziehenden Krieg ohnehin um manche seiner Vergnügungen gebracht, sich berechtigt gefühlt hatte, bei dieser Gelegenheit wieder einmal seinen Übermut auszutoben, wie es von jeher – Krieg hin oder her – das Vorrecht der Jugend gewesen ist.
Weshalb sollte denn Bristol überhaupt sparen? Mit der Eroberung der französischen Besitzungen in Westindien hatte der Sklavenhandel einen unerhörten Aufschwung genommen, und nahezu die Hälfte der im laufenden Jahr von der britischen Schifffahrt verfrachteten sechsundzwanzigtausend Neger war auf Fahrzeugen aus Bristol befördert worden. Die von Dankbarkeit überfluteten Stadtväter von Bristol hatten hundertdreizehn Pfund bewilligt, um Pitt und dem Herzog von Newcastle, deren politischer Führung die aufsehenerregenden militärischen Erfolge in Indien, Amerika und Deutschland zugeschrieben wurden, in zwei Kästchen von feinster Goldschmiedearbeit das Ehrenbürgerrecht der Stadt zu überreichen. Hundertdreizehn Pfund für ein Paar Kassetten und hundertneunundzwanzig Pfund zur Feier der Thronbesteigung; ein gewisses Mißverhältnis in der Auswerfung öffentlicher Gelder ließ sich nicht übersehen. Man hielt dafür, diese hätten füglich dazu beitragen müssen, etwas Abwechslung in das trostlose Einerlei der Kriegszeit zu bringen.
Man war nachgerade ein wenig kriegsmüde; der Schreck der Rekrutenaushebung und die ersten bangen Monate waren vergessen; das Schauspiel sich einschiffender Truppen, gefühlvoller Abschiedsszenen, glorreich heimkehrender Krieger war mehr oder weniger verbraucht. Bristol hatte im Betrauern der Gefallenen
Translation:
FIRST CHAPTER
“As long as the death knell tolls, listen, listen! The best of all kings, George!”
In this way, a citizen of Bristol had given vent to his poetic as well as his patriotic feelings in the “Morning Chronicle”; and on October 30, 1760, the accession to the throne of a new George was celebrated fittingly, if rather modestly, in that the festivities cost the city authorities a total of one hundred and twenty-nine pounds sterling. This frugality on the part of the public purse (which was entirely in keeping with the sentiments of the one in whose honor it was expressed) was strongly criticized in the circles of the pleasure-loving young people, as they, already deprived of many of their amusements by the protracted war, felt entitled to indulge their high spirits once again on this occasion, as it had always been – war or no war – the prerogative of youth.
Why should Bristol have economized at all? With the conquest of the French possessions in the West Indies, the slave trade had taken an unprecedented upswing, and almost half of the twenty-six thousand negroes transported by British shipping in the current year had been carried on vessels from Bristol. The city fathers of Bristol, overflowing with gratitude, had approved one hundred and thirteen pounds to present the freedom of the city in two caskets of the finest goldsmith’s work to Pitt and the Duke of Newcastle, whose political leadership was credited with the sensational military successes in India, America, and Germany. One hundred and thirteen pounds for a pair of caskets and one hundred and twenty-nine pounds for the celebration of the accession to the throne; a certain disproportion in the allocation of public funds could not be overlooked. It was felt that these funds should rather have contributed to bringing some variety into the dreary monotony of wartime.
People were by now a little weary of the war; the dread of conscription and the first anxious months were forgotten; the spectacle of troops embarking, emotional farewell scenes, gloriously returning warriors had more or less lost their novelty. Bristol had in the mourning for the fallen…
There was a King George connected to the date of October 30, 1760. A few days before that date, King George II of Great Britain and Ireland had died.
His grandson, George III, ascended to the throne on that very same day, October 25, 1760 (the date you mentioned in the German text was October 30th, which would have been shortly after the ascension).
So, the text you provided likely refers to the celebration of King George III‘s ascension to the throne. The mention of the death knell in the opening lines (“Wie dumpf die Totenglocke tönt…”) probably alludes to the passing of King George II, immediately followed by the acclamation of the new monarch, George III (“Dem besten aller Könige, Georg!”).
It’s interesting to see how quickly news and sentiments regarding the monarchy were being recorded and likely discussed at the time, as reflected in the “Morgenchronik.”
I bought this book at the Scotland County Library in Laurinburg, North Carolina for $1. I had seen it when I had visited the library previously (several months ago). Not really sure of why I bought it.
There is 1.69 lbs. of meat, with bone and fat. When divided by four servings, that comes to 6.75 oz. (minus bone) per serving. That should be at least 3.5 oz. of edible protein per serving @ $1.05 per serving.
I’m thinking of cooking this like I did the thick cut pork shops. In the oven under HI Broil, maybe with tinfoil on top for about 10 minutes the first side, and then maybe 5 minutes after turning it over. The last several times I’ve done the HI Broil, with tin foil, the underside gets crispy brown. I’m using the non-electric wok. Look here for the way I cooked some pork that worked. It’s obvious that I like how this cut of meat looks and know from previous experience that it makes a tasty meal.
I might add some chunks of onion, poblano pepper, sweet bell pepper & a little jalapeno pepper.
I’m planning on buying a white cauliflower and steaming it and adding the Spicy Chili Crisp & Toasted Sesame Oil to it for a savory flavor. And, I’m planning on buying a red cabbage and making some cabbage slaw with Dukes Mayo, Half-n-Half, sweet onion and some Mung bean sprouts.
This morning when I weighed, I was 246.6 lbs. This was great because yesterday I had recorded my highest weight is several weeks, 250 lbs. About two weeks ago I was pleasantly at 243 lbs. and then just about four days ago, I started to gain weight. I know it was because I wasn’t watching what I was eating, or how much, or even trying some new items that ended up being high calorie.
The Hot Pork Sausage, Cannellini Beans & Shrimp Soup was delicious, but then I realized how high calorie the sausage was. I will make it again, even using Black & Pinto Beans, and substituting Bay Scallops, or Cod fish instead of shrimp. but using much less sausage. It will still be flavorful, filling, but less in calories per serving.
So, I was pleasantly surprised at losing about 3.5 lbs. in a day, but my resting Blood Glucose Level was up to 148. I went back and checked what I had eaten yesterday, but other than the corn on the cob for dinner, didn’t see anything that should have spiked my blood sugar levels… and then I went to the bathroom and while brushing my teeth, I looked over and realized that I had not taken my night time meds from yesterday. Damn, “well that answers that question.” Forget your meds and things will start to go south quickly.
It was time to take my morning meds just as I was realizing that I had forgotten those from last night. I’ve read that you should take the forgotten meds as soon as you realize you’ve forgotten, but I didn’t want to take duplicates at the same time. I did take the two tablets from the previous night, that weren’t part of the morning meds. I’ll try to slip the other 3 tablets in between, maybe at noon or 1pm today. *It’s 3 pm. I think I’ll go take the rest of the pills I forgot to take last night.
I had made a note, on a rose colored note card, reminding me to move any plants off my patio because they were going to be power washing the outside walls of my apartment the next few days. I moved the plants, and some of the containers that had potting soil in them inside. It doesn’t look like the power wash team has come by yet. No sign of my glass topped table on the patio being washed off.
I also started looking for my defunct Dell laptop and this time found it in a box with a bunch of other stuff. This is the laptop that had it’s battery die, and I think the recharge connector, that you plug your charging cable into, had probably also died. I recall having to hold the recharging cable “at just the right angle” for the charging light to come on, and after doing this for a while, the dead battery warning came on at boot up. I think it was going to cost about $25 for the charging connector, and maybe $67 for a replacement battery. *I just checked again, and it looks like the battery is now only $25 and the DC In Jack is about $8.
The Dell is a larger unit, but with it’s known issues, I might go with HP again, even though I think the HP has issues with the touchpad not being responsive enough when playing simple games.
I also re-attached a little rubber footer on the bottom of my HP laptop. It had come unglued quite some time ago, and while looking for my laptop last night I found the rubber strip with some USB connectors. I used three dots of Gorilla Glue to re-attach it. The problem, for the future, perhaps, is that there is one attachment screw just under this rubber strip, and you have to remove the strip to unscrew the screw, in order to take the back off the laptop.
*Mmm, I just thought that I could try and use the Gorilla Glue to re-attach the bottom frame of my bathroom medicine cabinet. It’s not completely off, but hanging partially off. I was able to re-attach the medicine cabinet frame with the glue, but I’m not sure if it will stay fastened. If not, I might try it once more and try to come up with a better way to lock it into place & then glue it again.
I took my defunct Dell Inspiron Windows laptop to Jeff’s new place this morning. Before I left my apartment, I plugged the laptop in, and held the charging cable “in just the right way” and the laptop started and I was able to login to Windows. I did manage to reformat the D: drive and it had something like 931 MB, which is almost 1 TB. As I recall, I think it will be about $25 to replace the charging port, and $67 for a replacement battery. *I’ve just checked on Amazon, and it only costs about $25 for the replacement battery and about $8 for the DC in power Jack.
He should only have to pay for a current version of Windows and a virus protection program besides the two pieces of replacement equipment.
I thought to make sure I had my replacement mirror for my Camry. I wasn’t able to press it in and lock it and was afraid I might crack the new mirror if I pressed harder. I thought Jeff might have more experience so I took it along with me. I remembered to ask him if he would look at my mirror and after some fiddling and hard pressing, the new mirror locked into place. I made it back home with my new mirror installed on the passenger side, and it didn’t fall out. The mirror motor wasn’t damaged, only the mirror glass shattered.
I stopped by the Chinese restaurant before I returned home and bought a couple of egg rolls.
Stop, then turn left on 401. *The shortcut is 7 miles & takes about 9 minutes & 10 seconds. **Remaining on Hwy 401, it only takes 9 minutes and 1 second. The shortcut is a mile shorter, but takes slightly longer to drive.
17.9
Stop, if 1st light in Lillington is red.
18.4
Light at downtown Lillington.
19
Bridge over the Cape Fear River.
20
Left at light.
25
Kipling
25.8
Turn right.
28
Turn right.
28.6
Turn left
29.8
Stop then straight.
30.6
Stop then straight.
32.5
4 Way Stop, turn left.
33.6
Turn right.
34.7
Fuquay-Varina turn right at light.
38.2
Turn left, just after John Hiester Chevy just over sharp rise & dip.
42
Light at Ten Ten Road
45.6
Yates Mill
47.3
Light at Tryon Rd.
48.5
The Beltline.
49.1
State’s Farmers’ Market
51.1
Light at NCSU, turn left.
53.1
Whole Foods parking lot.
I timed the drive on the shortcut and then the regular route for that same start/end points. To my surprise the regular route, although about a mile longer actually took about 9 seconds less than the shortcut. 9:21.30 for the shortcut and 9:01.20 for the regular route. That’s nine minutes, twenty one and a half seconds.
Bill Gibson, II 