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MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Elections On Tuesdays?

Ever wondered why we, as Americans, always seem to vote on Tuesdays? Well, there are reasons why that is. Farming reasons.

 

Back in 1788, states would determine their own voting dates. But, it was a logistical nightmare: a national patchwork quilt of elections across the country, on different dates & at different times, all to choose Presidential electors who would ultimately cast their votes on the 1st Wednesday in December (the date set forth in the Constitution). So, in 1792, a law was passed that required state elections to be held within a 34-day window before the 1st Wednesday in December. Most elections then started taking place in November.

 

Ours was a mostly agricultural society back then. So, having elections in November meant that crops had already been harvested & winter hadn’t taken hold yet. It the perfect time to vote for our young, agrarian country.

 

Now, back in the late 18th & early 19th centuries, the super-slow pace of presidential elections wasn’t that big of an issue: communication was understandably slow everywhere, with results taking weeks to tally & announce anyway. But, once the railroad & the telegraph came into being, Congress figured that a standardized date needed to be established. Monday was a no-go, since that would require folks to travel to the polls by horse & buggy on the Sunday Sabbath. Wednesday wasn’t good, either, because that was market day & farmers wouldn’t be able to make it to the polls since that’s when they’d be buying & selling their wares. Tuesday, it seemed, was the day that most Americans could vote in federal elections. So, in 1845, Congress passed a law mandating that presidential elections be held on the Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November.

 

And, guess what…that’s next Tuesday! A week from tomorrow! You’ve got the opportunity to make a difference, so get out & vote!

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Middletown Scarecrows Rule!

 

The 13th Annual Scarecrow Contest!

I heard all about these scarecrows on Main St. in Middletown and I had to go see them for myself! I was pleasantly surprised!  Families and businesses put up their scarecrows in September, voted in Mid October and the winners were just announced over the weekend. Congrats to the family who won first place for their Mr. Potato Head!

I just had to stop and take a photo with the Mandalorian for #MandoMonday! We locked eyes from the start. But the “2020 Y’all” guy was by far MY FAVORITE. Major creative points for being upside down. I’m sure we can all relate.

 

“QuaranTINA,” was super clever and was decked out in the hottest 2020 fashion. This little S’more stole my heart! Fire pit attached was a nice touch. Overall, I AM SO IMPRESSED by Middletown’s creativity and I hope we can find a way to enter the contest next year. On our way out we also spotted my favorite TV character David Rose from Schitt’s Creek, but he seemed too cool to take a picture with me 😉

 

 

Carve Your Favorite Country Artists into Pumpkins!

Did you know you can win a Universal Music Group Nashville Halloween Prize pack by carving your favorite country artists into pumpkins?

Get more pumpkin carving stencils of your favorite country artists HERE

{Katie’s Kitchen} Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Brought to you by Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

I’ve found the secret to roasting the perfect potatoes!

Pre-heat your oven to a high temp… I did 425 degrees.

Wash but don’t peel 2 lbs. potatoes. If you have time, soak the potatoes in cold water for up to 1 hour (It helps to remove the starch). Then, dry the potatoes.

I used gold potatoes and chopped them into 1 in cubes. Then, tossed them in olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, basil, rosemary and salt and pepper. You can add paprika, too, if you’d like a little kick.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until crispy and tender.

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. of any kind of potatoes
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 3 tbsp. dried or fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil, paprika, optional)
  • salt and pepper

 

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Are Graves Six Feet Deep?

Why are graves “six feet deep”? Who decided that?

 

Well, the simple answer: it started with the plague. The beginnings of the phrase “6 feet under” came from an outbreak of the plague in 1665 England. As the plague devastatingly swept across the country, London’s mayor at the time decreed precisely what was to be done with all the bodies left in the disease’s wake, in order to avoid further infections. Among the specifications he laid out was that “all the graves shall be at least six feet deep.”

 

Over time, though, that law fell out of favor both at home in England & across the pond in the American colonies. Burial laws nowadays differ from state to state, but many states only require a minimum of 18 inches of soil on top of a casket or vault. For a body not enclosed in anything, the required depth is at least 2 feet of soil. So, with 18-inches of dirt as a buffer, combined with the height of the average casket (around 30 inches), a grave as shallow as 4 feet is technically fine.

 

A burial today involves filling a body with chemical preservatives, sealing it inside a sturdy metal casket, then enclosing that casket within a steel or cement burial vault. It’s a much less hospitable environment for microbes now than old graves once were. For non-typical burials (where a body isn’t embalmed, a vault isn’t used, the casket is wood instead of metal, or there’s no casket whatsoever), the less strict burial standards still provide a measure of safety & comfort. Without any protection, though, after a few years of soil erosion the remains of a departed loved one could unexpectedly (and problematically) resurface. You don’t want those remains getting too close to still-living humans, since they could likely spread disease (and, not to mention, scare the living daylights out of you).

 

How human remains are currently processed after having “shuffled off its mortal coil” is currently safe & prudent. And, as you now know, there’s good reason behind why the final resting places of the dearly departed are where they are.

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

{Katie’s Baby Blog} Big Sister Lily

Lily is so excited to be a big sister…I think…I’m not actually sure she really knows what it means yet; but I think she will be when the baby comes!

I ask her all of the time if she’s excited and she says yes! Then she says “baby in your belly?” then she pulls up her shirt and looks at her own belly with a very confused look on her face! It’s so cute… 😉

I’m wondering what she’s going to think once I really start showing and my stomach starts growing. Knowing her, she will be too busy playing My Little Pony’s or with her baby dolls to notice.

This time around is really kicking my butt! Like I said last week, keeping up with a 2 year old while your pregnant is CHALLENGING. I’m still waiting to get that “2nd trimester energy” back (I don’t think it’s coming).

The BEST part of pregnancy this time around…the weeks seem to be flying by. Chasing a 2 year old also helps you to not focus as much on how lonnnnng 9 months can be until you meet baby. I find it going by quick this time and am surprised that I’m already at my next appointment and 4 weeks have gone by.

15 weeks and counting…

<3 Katie Ryan

 

 

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why Do People Love Horror Movies?

It’s that time of year: horror movie time! Now I think we can all agree that, when it comes to scary movies, people either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Not too many people are neutral on the subject. But for those of us who love terror flicks, the question usually asked by those who don’t care for them is: “Why?” Well, if you’re a fan of scary movies (as I am), there are some possible reasons why:

 

Experts agree:

 

  • Horror movies trigger your brain’s fight or flight response. So, being scared gives you an adrenaline rush.

 

  • Even though you’re terrified & your heart’s racing, you know you’re safe. There’s something about getting to that edge…then turning back, knowing you are not in any real danger.

 

  • Watching fictional characters deal with terror helps us learn how to deal with our own fears & anxieties. The world can be a scary place sometimes, so watching scary movies can help you prepare for the worst & learn how to cope.

 

  • It lets you explore your own dark side. While people may not want to admit it, there are parts of ourselves that intuitively want to lash out sometimes. Watching horror movies allows a person to do that in a non-harmful way.

 

  • It makes you think you’re different than the victim, and therefore more likely to survive. Watching people in horror movies make stupid moves & decisions convinces us that, if we were in those situations, we wouldn’t make those poor choices & would likely survive.

 

So binge on a good horror flick marathon tonight or this weekend…in a weird way, it’s good for you! (Sort of.)

 

Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].

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