My beloved UNITED STATES of AMERICA - A dog blog celebrates Unity in Diversity at the World Cup

I'm sure most of you remember Maxdog of South Africa - our valiant Golden Retriever who is now waiting for his Maxmom at the Bridge. Living Life to the Max is Maxmom's blog that continues on without her precious Maxdog. Filled with great photos of South Africa and pooches Tammy, King Toffee and Tommy, Maxmom is sponsoring a month-long event for those us who would like to get into the South African-World Cup Spirit, UNITY in DIVERSITY. Hit the button on my sidebar to travel to South Africa and Maxmom's blog. There you will find out all about UNITY in DIVERSITY! ALL the cool dogs and cats will be there - you snooze, you loose!

I cry when I sing our National Anthem. I cry when I say the Pledge of Allegiance to my country. I cry when I see our uniformed military. I am an American through and through. I was taught this loyalty and devotion by my father, Joseph Korzecki, in Saginaw, Michigan. The love he felt for his country was evident in all he said and did for all the days of his life. He passed away at the age of 88 years, but I can tell you this without a doubt - if his country, even in his advanced years, called on him to protect its freedom, his would not have hesitated to do so.

Today, the United States of America plays in the World Cup. Win - lose - or draw, I am a proud of the fact that our team has made it to play in South Africa during this momentous time in history. To celebrate our participation at the World Cup I would like to share some things with you that I consider to be all American - through and through.

Apple Pie

FILLING:
8 apples - peeled & sliced (half Granny Smith, half Macintosh)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter – chilled and sliced
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons flour

DOUGH:

2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of butter, cold & cubed
1/4 - 1/2 cup ice water
Egg - lightly beaten for egg wash
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF

In a food processor combine the flour, salt, sugar and pulse. Add in the butter and slowly gradually add the ice water. Pulse until dough just comes together. Don’t overwork the dough or it will make a tough crust.

Remove the dough from processor. Cut into two equal sections. Pat sections into discs and wrap in plastic wrap and place into refrigerator. Chill for 1 hour. (can be frozen for future use)

In a small mixing bowl bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar & flour, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the peeled and sliced apples. Sprinkle spice and flour mixture over apples. Toss to coat.

Remove one chilled disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface, large enough to cover your pie pan. Shape to fit, cutting off any excess.

Pour apple mixture into pie pan and add your sliced butter to the top of the mixture. Remove second dough disk from refrigerator and roll out large enough to fit the top of your pie with an overhang. Place pie dough on top of apple mixture and crimp edges to seal. With a knife, add four slits to your piecrust. Lightly brush egg wash onto top of dough. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar.

Place onto a baking tray into preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until golden brown & bubbly. Allow pie to rest until cool before slicing. Refrigerate any uneaten portions.

In order to prevent the crust edge from getting too dark when baked, I will cover the outer edge with foil. Works like a charm!

American Cocker Spaniel

The first love of my life in the dog world. I will share my home and ♥ another before I die.

Boston Terrier

The breed is an American creation, resulting from a cross between an English Bulldog and a white English Terrier. In 1891, the breed became known as Boston Terriers, taking the name of the city where they originated.

American (Black and Tan) Coonhound

One of the few All-American breeds, the Black and Tan Coonhound is a persistent, determined, honest hunter who will stay on track no matter the terrain or conditions.

 American Pit Bull Terrier

The APBT is a breed that is loyal to friends and family, and is generally friendly towards strangers. People have been known to be afraid of them because of their bad reputations. Nonetheless, an APBT can be a very congenial pet as they have a general love of people. (Love them or leave them, I honestly believe that if anyone is to blame for bad temperament in this breed - it is us - the human beings.)

 Alaskan Malanute

The Malamute is a descendant of dogs of the Mahlemuts tribe of upper western Alaska. These dogs had a prominent role with their human companions – working, hunting, and living alongside them. The interdependent relationship between the Mahlemut and their dogs fostered prosperity among both and enabled them to flourish in the inhospitable land above the Arctic Circle.

 Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Developed along the Chesapeake Bay and named the state dog of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a truly American sporting breed and the toughest water retriever.

Baseball

Evolving from older bat-and-ball games, an early form of baseball was being played in England by the mid-eighteenth century. This game and the related rounders were brought by British and Irish immigrants to North America, where the modern version of baseball developed. By the late nineteenth century, baseball was widely recognized as the national sport of the United States.

 The assembly line

The assembly line developed by Ford Motor Company between 1908 and 1915 made assembly lines famous in the following decade through the social ramifications of mass production, such as the affordability of the Ford Model T and the introduction of high wages for Ford workers. Henry Ford was the first to master the assembly line and was able to improve other aspects of industry by doing so (such as reducing labor hours required to produce a single vehicle, and increased production numbers and parts).

 Our Flag

♫The Star-Spangled Banner♫

The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry",^[1] a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!^[12]

 God Bless America!
 

^{EXTRA - EXTRA - READ ALL ABOUT IT!}

RUSTENBURG, South Africa — Forget getting past England. The U.S. soccer team had to get past the elephants first.

The U.S. team was delayed twice Friday when elephants blocked the road, the second back-up coming as the squad was traveling to its training session at Royal Bafokeng Stadium. The elephant was munching on a tree as the Americans left the Bakubung Bush Lodge, and it moved to the side of the road after about 4 minutes.

"Everybody had their cell phones out, pictures were being taken," coach Bob Bradley said. "It was all part of the experience."

Earlier in the afternoon, a bus carrying 10 players on their way to an open-air market at the entrance to the team hotel got stuck behind an elephant, spokesman Michael Kammarman said. Players had timed the trip to get back to the hotel in time for the start of the World Cup opener between South Africa and Mexico.

Signs outside the U.S. hotel warn: "ELEPHANTS COME CLOSE TO OUR FENCE KEEP A DISTANCE OF 30 METERS AND PLEASE BE QUIET" and "BABOONS ARE DANGEROUS – PLEASE KEEP CLEAR OF THEM AND DO NOT FEED THEM." Another one reads, "THIS IS BIG 5 TERRITORY TREAT THE ANIMALS WITH RESPECT AND THEY WILL RETURN THE COMPLIMENT."

"It was cool," U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said of the up-close encounter with the animal kingdom. "A big elephant, just eating on the path out of our hotel."

It wasn't clear if the same elephant caused both delays. Or whether it will now have a starring role in Saturday's coverage by Walt Disney-owned ABC.

FOOTNOTE: US - 1, ENGLAND -1