Voting is fundamental

Harley has my vote, too!

I remember voting in my first Presidential election, it was for Nixon. Laura and I were engaged and she was so very kind to help me fill out my suggested voters pamphlet. It has been like this ever since … talking, discussing and continually growing closer.

I even ran for some elected offices, won some and lost some, and although I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘fun’, it was an educational experience most people avoid. On a small scale , I had the chance to witness some of the best and worst of our political system, the media and people.

Change is the nature of history and writing it is always an active, creative and some times revisionary process. Although I have an obvious preference for president, I also realize that things will be different regardless of who wins. We have been on this trajectory for a long time. I remember seeing the cornerstone to some of our nation’s most historical buildings being removed (the White House, for example) because — by tradition — cornerstones were laid by Mason’s … not favored or remembered anymore by the rewriters of history. History was erased. This happened — believe it or not — during Ronald Reagan’s era, who himself was a Mason.  We are constantly changing.

I am encouraged by the voting precinct we visited to vote this morning, there was actually a long line. Democracy is fragile and easily manipulated… but it is one of the only private way for average citizens to have a voice, be it a small one.

Enjoy, support and protect the process. VOTE

Roger

I know where the White House Cornerstone is…do you? write me and I will tell you … roger@frebergsports.com

Thanksgiving is coming and so is a great pumpkin pie

Turducken is a family favorite

Now that Halloween is over , we can begin to think about the next holidays. Obviously, one of the most popular holidays celebrated by most Americans is the colonial tradition of ‘Thanksgiving.’ It is that time of year when family and friends get together to celebrate the happiness of the past year and anticipate the possibilities of good things to come.

No one can talk about Thanksgiving without those wonderful words like: turkey ( we like Turducken or Ostruducken), feast, cranberries, creamed potatoes , stuffing and various desserts.

For dessert, everyone has their favorites: apple pie, rhubarb pie, chocolate pie, pecan pie and of course my personal favorite the ‘pumpkin pie.’

If you ever chawed into a raw pumpkin, it’s kind of like taking a swig of raw vanilla extract, it is definitely not what you were expecting! So what makes a pumpkin pie so special? The secret lies in the spices and in the crust.

First, there is a prepared spice blend called ‘Pumpkin Pie Spice’ that generally contains some of the following: Nutmeg and mace, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and allspice , cloves. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are the most commonly used spices… and they are cheap. If you really look around you’ll find some recipes calling for small additions of other spices like cardamon. However, with a little practice, i am sure you can come up with a version that will make everyone smile.

As for the crust, you can’t beat a Crisco/ butter blend crust with a bit of mace…

The season of cooking has begun. How will you make yours special?

Roger