Awakenings from Then ’til Now allows you to Embrace Your Past, Empower the Present, Enrich Your Future.
Welcome to Awakenings
Life IS history in the making. Every word we say, everything we do becomes history the moment it is said or done. Life void of memories leaves nothing but emptiness. For those who might consider history boring, think again: It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. We are certainly individuals in our thoughts and deeds but we all germinated from seeds planted long, long ago.
Who does not like a gift? Whether the gift is a wrapped package, box in the mail, an unexpected greeting card, a gift of music or simply a tray of cookies, it is a happy, bringing-on-a-smile sight. The most common celebrations of multiple gift giving are birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, and of course, Christmas. It is the personal gifts that truly touch the heart...the ones homemade instead of bought!
Any time is foodie time but when that foodie can be prepared as a snack, side dish, dessert, or even the main course, that puts it on a totally different plane...plate, that is! Not many foods fit that bill, some make great treats doubling as a breakfast item; others make great appetizers that can be increased in volume serving as a main course. But, to meet the criteria of all four is not unheard of, but unusual.
Breakfast fritters, corn fritters, apple fritters, pineapple fritters, crab fritters (aka crab cakes), clam fritters, zucchini fritter pancake, banana corn fritters, spicy peanut fritters, cherry fritters, potato fritters, parsnip fritters...Oh my! There are even chocolate fritters! The list goes on and on and on! What is a fritter?
In the United States, fritters
are small cakes made with a primary ingredient that is mixed with an
egg and milk batter and either pan-fried or deep-fried; wheat flour,
cornmeal, or a mix of the two may be used to bind the batter. [Source: en.wikipedia.org]
Let's begin with Breakfast!Great way to start the day - deep-fried goodness that warms you from inside out!
A creative use for those inevitable overripe bananas! Let the kids peel
and mash the fruit while you measure out the remaining ingredients, and
serve up a warm and delicious twist on same-old pancakes!
There is no denying the light pillow-soft texture of a deep fried donut (fritters are often referred to as donuts), especially one that's stuffed with fresh fall apples.
Behold the Stuffpuppy - an orb of textural pleasures progressing inward
from crunch to sponge to pillow. It's the turducken of the sides world: a
cloud-soft core of buttery mashed potatoes, swaddled in savory stuffing
(or dressing - your call), crusted in crushed potato chips and fried to
sublimity.
These turkey fritters are so easy and they're just stunning! The addition of paleo powder is an amazing gluten-free and MSG free all-purpose seasoning.
This is a similar method to Southern fried chicken and works a treat with
turkey. The buttermilk tenderizes and flavors the meat in much the same way
as yogurt does for Indian chicken dishes.
"A fun way to make
canned tuna taste less like canned tuna. These thin tuna patties are
tasty enough to be eaten plain or in a pita pocket with lettuce and
tomato."
Perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully cheesy and warm on the
inside. You can even leave out
the bacon and serve with wilted spinach for a great vegetarian meal!
Ready for Dessert? Um-m-m-m? Maybe an afternoon snack...
Music and flowers bring forth melodies of relationships, both love and separation. The velvety petals of the rose strike chords at the heart while the music reaches deep down into the soul. Hold close - in mind, heart, soul - the flowers, the music, the fragrance, the sunlight, for they make up the songs of life.
Welcome into the spotlight one of a duet whose song about a drifting relationship is still heard over today's airways...
Neil Diamond 2007
"I'd
like just to continue to write songs that express my own life and
feelings. Writing songs and performing for an audience is such a
satisfying creative outlet that I can't think of anything else I could
do to top it." ~Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond: singer-songwriter who penned No.1 hits for the Monkees, as well as scoring No.1 hits of his own
For Neil Diamond, it all started when he got his first guitar at age16. He began writing his own songs getting his first taste of success with the 1966 single 'Solitary Man'. That same year, he penned the Monkees' No. 1 hit 'I'm a Believer'. Over the next few years, Diamond continued to score hits on his own. The 70s showcased Neil Diamond in the spotlight with his first solo hit 'Cracklin' Rose' (1970) followed by 'Song Sung Blue' two years later. His 1972 live double album Hot August Night, and its predecessor Moods, defined his signature sound and in the case of Hot August Night his live performance style for the future.
1979Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand's ‘You Don't Bring Me Flowers’
was at No.1 on the US singles chart. A radio station engineer had
spliced together Neil's version with Barbra's version and got such good
response, the station added it to their play list. When Neil Diamond was
told about it, he decided to re-record the song with Streisand herself,
and within weeks of its release, the single went to No.1 in the US and
No.5 in the UK. Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand both attended New York City's Erasmus High School,
where the Brooklyn-born future superstars were in the school choir at
the same time.
Neil Diamond is about to unleash his 32nd studio album in the form of 'Melody Road'; his first collection of original material in six years...Read MORE...
More No.1s on this day...
1967 The Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd
went to number one on the US album chart. It was their fourth album to
sell over a million copies, following The Monkees, More Of The
Monkees and Headquarters.
1978Rod Stewart was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy', the singers fifth UK chart topper. A plagiarism lawsuit by
Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor confirmed that the song had been
derived from his composition 'Taj Mahal'. Stewart agreed to donate all
his royalties from the song to United Nations Children's Fund.
1995Mariah Carey went to No.1 on the US singles chart with her duet
with Boyz II Men 'One Sweet Day'. It made Carey the first artist in
history to have two consecutive single debuts at No.1, 'Fantasy' being
her first.
2001Daniel Bedingfield scored his first UK No.1 single with 'Gotta Get Thru This', the single went back to No.1 in January 2002. The track was
recorded in Bedingfield's bedroom with his PC and a microphone, using
music software.
1976 The first day of the photo shoot for the forthcoming Pink Floyd
Animals album cover took place at Battersea Power Station in London,
England with a giant inflatable pig lashed between two of the
structure's tall towers. A trained marksman was hired ready to fire if
the inflatable escaped, but was not needed on this, the first day.
Unfortunately the following day the marksman hadn't been rebooked, so
when the inflatable broke free from its moorings, it was able to float
away, eventually landing in Kent where it was recovered by a local
farmer, reportedly furious that it had ‘scared his cows’.
1983 MTV aired the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson's
'Thriller' video for the first time. Now regarded as the most
influential pop music video of all time, in 2009, the video was inducted
into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, the first
music video to ever receive this honor, for being “culturally,
historically or aesthetically” significant.
2000Thieves broke into the London home Madonna shares with Guy
Ritchie. The raiders forced their way in through a basement door then
took a set of car keys before loading up Guy Ritchie's car with some of
the couple's possessions and driving off.
During such a hectic time of spending, spending, spending, it is great to flip the coin, shift gears, cross the road to the other side and focus on giving. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement letting the importance of the season take a backseat. Time to step forward with focus on giving back and celebrating generosity!
Plan ahead, December 2 is...
Every day is a day to be thankful. The Two Sides of Thanksgiving provide the opportunity to indulge (often gorge ourselves) in a holiday feast and celebrate a day of gratitude. Rocking chair conversation with family and friends resultes in fireside chatter openly expressing that which we are truly thankful, while at the same time making us sleepy. Trying desperately to keep eyes open is often short lived with the 'L-tryptophan' in the turkey being to blame.
The day after Thanksgiving leaves no time for rest, since adrenaline is pumping ninety to nothing at the crack of dawn in anticipation of making it to the mall in time to at least get a decent place in line. Even if you grab a leftover turkey leg on the way out, the tryptophan doesn't stand a chance against the adrenaline. You are hyped! You are about to engage in Black Friday Insanity!
Maybe you did not make it to the mall on Black Friday. Never fear! #CyberMonday is here! Still time to shop but this time you do not have to leave the house. All shopping will be done online, you don't even have to get out of your PJs. Words of caution: Leftover turkey makes the BEST sandwiches so be careful you do not crash on the computer keyboard or fall out of your chair! Even the coffee may not be able to work its magic.
So far that is one day of giving thanks and two days of getting deals. Time to even the score. #GivingTuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back. This is a day set aside to celebrate generosity and to give...to your family & friends, your favorite charity, within your company or business, and at community centers. It can be a donation of time or money, volunteering and joining in on giving. This is a great segue into Christmas which is the season for giving!
What do YOU plan on giving back? Inspire your friends!
Shopping madness continues but this time no more having to fight the crowds or wait in lo-o-o-o-ong lines. No more battling the weather in areas where rain or snow might be prevailing. Today you get to shop in the comfort of your own home and stay in your PJs if you so desire while taking advantage of HUGE sales.
December 1 is ...
Cyber Monday occurs on the first Monday after Thanksgiving in the aftermath of Black Friday Insanity. Competition is still at its peak with businesses trying to out beat each other with who has the best deals. This is not just the end of the season closeout, leftovers that no one wanted or overstock account poor decisions, but the time of year to get the best prices on quality merchandise. Matching, slicing, advertising price reductions are all part of this shopping game.
On this day it is easy to overspend! Necessity should always come before wants but that is often a difficult decision when the price is right. The deals won't last long nor will the top items. So, take advantage of some Helpful Tips. Following some very basic instincts might save a lot of stress later on when the credit card bills come due! They may also save headaches down the road from spammers that are only after your money with nothing to give in return for your investment.
