Herman Lehmann For Western Wednesday...!

Herman was one of those children that was kidnapped by the Indians, but didn't want to leave and go back home.

He had become so much a part of his adopted tribe, he was made a warrior and minor chief. Wanting to stay with their captors was not all that uncommon. Many refused to leave, or ran away when returned to their true families. Here is Herman's story from Listverse.

Herman Lehmann

Photo credit: Alchetron

Herman Lehmann didn’t see himself as a white boy living among the Apaches. To him, he was an Apache warrior through and through. He was kidnapped at age ten, and it changed him so much that when he was found eight years later, he couldn’t even remember his own name.

By then, Lehman was a respected warrior in his tribe who called himself “En Da.” He’d been made a petty chief for his ability to fight, and he’d joined the Apaches in raids and battles, even leading a charge right into a fort full of Texas Rangers.

All that changed, though, when a medicine man killed his adoptive father, an Apache warrior named Carnoviste. Lehman took his revenge and killed the medicine man. He then had to flee into the wilderness. For a year, he lived alone, hiding from the Apaches and the white men alike, until he finally settled down in a Native American reservation.

When his mother heard there was a white-skinned, blue-eyed boy on the reservation, she came out, praying it was her son. At first, she didn’t recognize him, and Herman was less than friendly. “I was an Indian,” he explained, “and I did not like them because they were palefaces.” But Herman’s sister spotted an old scar only he could have and, overcome with joy, cried out, “It’s Herman!”

The sound of the name puzzled him. Somehow, Herman thought he’d heard it before. It took a long moment, Herman would later recall, before he realized that he was hearing his own name.

No one knows for sure what made the captors stay when given the choice...but it was their choice and should have been allowed.Just my opinion, of course.

Coffee out on the patio this morning, but you better bring a sweater!

A Very Tiny Church Chapel...!

Sometimes, out of nowhere, a simple landmark pops up that totally surprises you. That's the case with this little chapel.

The Wayside Chapel is one of those places that just grabs your attention as you drive by. Here is an article about it.

MONROE, WASHINGTON

Wayside Chapel

The tiny church offers succor to travelers driving by, but only eight at a time.

While driving by on the Stevens Pass Highway, about six miles east of Monroe, Washington, you’ll see a tiny chapel that invites any travelers on the highway to stop and take a little break—but only eight at a time.

“Pause, Rest, Worship” reads the sign outside the miniature structure, and weary travelers from any faith can enter at any time, to look around the one-room, unstaffed church or pray for a few moments before continuing on their way.

Inside, there is a pulpit, four two-person pews, and some flower vases. And that’s about it.

The charming chapel was dedicated in October 1962, when Seattle was hosting the World’s Fair. It has seen some surface changes, but remains much the same as it did then.

It is a favorite with locals, some of whom have even gotten married or renewed their vows in the tiny wayside chapel.

Cute little rest stop, don't you think? Might be just the place to stop and give yourself a bit of time to get the mind calmed down.

Coffee out on the patio this morning...OK?

Somerset Slime For Monday Mystery...!

I've posted about this stuff before, but that was way back when it was called "star jelly!"

The last time the information was old and outdated. Even this information is newer, it isn't much more helpful than what we had before.

Somerset Slime

Photo credit: AOL

Scientists were stumped by the strange jelly-like slime that appeared in a nature reserve in Somerset, England, in 2012. The bizarre substance was found in several locations. Experts were unable to explain its origin, although a few guesses were hazarded. The reserve’s spokesman, Tony Whitehead, suggested the slime might be Nostoc, a form of cyanobacteria.

Other guesses held it might be the regurgitated viscera of amphibians and their spawn. Whitehead said, in past centuries, the substance was “known variously as star jelly, astral jelly or astromyxin,” and folklore associated it with meteors. Other speculations suggested it lacked DNA, although it appeared to be alive. Experts didn’t know what to make of the slime. Visitors to the reserve were warned not to touch the substance, whatever it was.

You don't have to tell me twice to not touch the stuff...I intend to leave it alone! I don't know what it is, where it came from, and what it might do! I flashback to the movie with Steve McQueen called "The Blob", ya know?

Coffee out on the patio again today!

Sunday Means Cartoons...!

Guess maybe I should change things around a bit and not be such a creature of habit. Not today, though.

Today it will be the 'toons like usual. Don't want to disappoint anyone, ya know?







And maybe just one more...



That's all I have today. Hope you enjoyed them.

Coffee out on the patio again. I hope you set your clocks back!

Sad And Creepy Story Of Ruby...!

Dolls have been favorite playthings for many children for a long time and many have become sought after by doll collectors over the years.

However, many dolls have become the center for stories of hauntings and possession and just downright creepiness! Here is one such story about a doll named Ruby.

Ruby

Photo credit: Week in Weird

The story of Ruby is a bit more sad than creepy. It is said that Ruby was the favorite possession of a little girl a long time ago. The little girl got very sick and eventually died with Ruby in her arms.[8] Ruby was then passed on through generations of the little girl’s family, more often than not ending up in a box in a basement because of her less-than-cute appearance. Also, the family members claimed that Ruby walked around, made weird noises, and, much the same as Peggy, caused nausea and headaches.

Ruby eventually ended up in the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and the Occult, where even stranger things started happening. Almost half of all visitors to the museum started taking Ruby in their arms and rocking her and comforting her as you would do with a crying baby. When being made aware of what they were doing, the visitors would be shocked, not having realized their actions. One visitor also found a picture of Ruby on her phone after visiting the museum, and she swears she didn’t take any photos of the doll. It is believed that the little girl who died is still connected to Ruby somehow and is making her presence felt with the help of her favorite doll.

My mother was a doll maker, as you may know, and she left many dolls here when she passed. My sisters, nieces, grandkids and everyone else I could think of was allowed to take any or all of the dolls with them. Very few did, however. I still have about twenty or so dolls here, nearly all with handmade clothes. I reckon that no one plays with dolls, even with porcelain handmade ones.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Almost hot outside today!

Sweet Truth About Candy Corn...!

Since we are gearing up to enter into what I like to call the "food holidays", I figured I would post a little fact I discovered about Candy Corn.

This sweet treat has always been one of my favorites, taking second place only to chocolate. Chocolate will always be my first choice, but Candy Corn is close.

The Real Deal With Candy Corn

Photo credit: Evan-Amos/Wikimedia

Candy corn has been around since the 1880s, and it has always been one of those things that most people claim to hate. Those who do love it probably already know about National Candy Corn Day, which is October 30.

The recipe for candy corn has not changed, and it is still made with fondant, corn syrup, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and sugar. In the early days, when each kernel was handmade, the original name was “Chicken Feed,” and it was first designed to tap into rural America’s most familiar images for a treat that was available year around. Its association with autumn is no coincidence, as it was part of a group of candies (that also included candy turnips, chestnuts, and clovers) that symbolized the fall harvest.

According to the National Confectioners Association, candy corn is the favorite Halloween treat of a whopping 12 percent of the population.

That's all I have for today. Gotta go celebrate with the rest of the town, because of Houston winning something called the "World Series!" for the first time ever...!

Coffee out on the patio this morning.

Nixon Broke The Gavel...!

Who would believe that some of the original tools used in the Senate are 200 years old? I'm talking about the gavels, not the politicians!

The U.S. Senate Has Been Using the Same Ivory Gavels for Over 200 Years
They only got a second one after Nixon broke the first.

BY ERIC GRUNDHAUSER                                       OCTOBER 26, 2017

WHEN THINGS GET UNRULY IN a courtroom, the judge can grab his gavel and start hammering on the podium to get everyone’s attention and restore order. It’s not so terribly different in the United States Senate, where they’ve been using the same ivory gavels in their attempts to bring order for over 200 years.

The U.S. Senate has a number of hidden traditions (we see you, candy desk) and historic artifacts that have been in use for generations, but perhaps none symbolizes the body’s adherence to its own past more than the senate gavels. While the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives generally uses a traditional mallet-style gavel, often comically over-sized and prone to breaking, the leaders of the Senate floor have only ever used one of two hourglass-shaped mauls since the assembly began in the 1700s.

No one is quite sure of the exact origins of the first Senate gavel. “Many of the tools that the Senate uses have long been considered just that. Tools of the legislative process,” says Melinda Smith, current Curator of the United States Senate. “At the time that they were acquired, nobody ever thought that they would be such prized possessions or that there would be such intrigue to them. We haven’t yet found that golden nugget of information. We have a lot of leads, but none of them are on a record.” Smith adds that traditionally it’s believed that the original ivory gavel, or one just like it, has been used since the Senate’s first meeting in 1789.

The original gavel, which measures two-and-a-half inches tall, was used through the 19th century and well into the 20th century. According to the Senate website, the old ivory nub had begun to fall apart by the 1940s, after over a century of use. Then in 1952, the original gavel was reinforced with silver plates affixed to both ends. But even with the extra support, the gavel was in trouble.

Just two years after the silver pieces were added, it finally broke for good. It was during a late-night debate on whether or not to allow the commercial use of nuclear power. Then-Vice President Richard Nixon took hold of the gavel to call the room to order. Slamming it down, a large chunk of the ivory hammer chipped off, although the breakage likely had more to do with wear and age than any over-exuberance on Nixon’s part. “He just happened to be the person who was holding it,” says Smith. “It could have been anybody.”

In an attempt to salvage the historic gavel, the broken chunk was screwed back on, but the gavel was no longer fit for government work, and the hunt for a replacement began. According to a New York Times article from 1982, it was Nixon himself who went searching for a suitable piece of ivory that could replace the one that had broken in his hand. After a few (no doubt unruly) gavel-less months, the Vice President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, presented the assembly with a replacement ivory gavel that looked nearly identical to the original save for a decorative floral collar etched around the pinched middle. He said that he hoped it would lead to debate “with freedom from passion and prejudice.”

Let's hope that the future gavels are only used in common sense debates, and last at least as long as the originals.

Coffee out on the patio where it seems that Spring has come back with temps in the mid 80s.