A family history book prepared by the great-great-granddaughter of Eli Slifer, the Pennsylvania commonwealth secretary in Lincoln's days for her grandchildren, revealed her ancestor's part in saving Abraham Lincoln life. All this happened and almost happened during Lincoln's pre-inauguration train ride from Illinois to Washington through New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, similar to the train ride taken by Barack Obama these days. The assassination attempted failed due to Slifer's gumption, among others.

According to genealogical documents inherited by Deon Jaccard, great-great-granddaughter of former Pennsylvania commonwealth secretary's, Slifer collaborated in planning an escape route for President Lincoln from the assassination attempt allegedly awaited him in Baltimore. Lincoln was smuggled to the Baltimore train station in a circuitous path, accompanied by an armed bodyguard, causing the crowds to believe the President-elect is on his way to the Commonwealth Hotel as planned, while all the local telegraph wires have been cut until a cipher dispatch arrived from the Capital, announcing Lincoln safe and sound arrival. Lincoln, however, remained doubtful of the assassination scheme.

On top of all these historical documents, Deon Jaccard gets to live with a tiny model of her great-great-grandfather mansion, the Slifer House, now a museum in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The 57 X 61 inches miniature, created by her husband, Phil, replicates the smallest details in the house's interior: furniture, kitchenware, a backgammon board and even a copy of the New Yorker magazine.

see the dime? now figure out how small the backgammon board is...

Lincoln & Obama

Of all of US presidents, Obama is often compared to Lincoln. In addition to the famous train ride and their slim figures what else do these two have in common?

• Lincoln was born in Kentucky and Obama in Hawaii, but both set their homes in the State of Illinois before residing in Washington.
• Both arrived to the White House with young children
• Obama and Lincoln both have legalist education, and both have served in the state legislature before becoming congressmen.
• They are both excellent rhetoricians.
• Both are groundbreaking: Lincoln in freeing the slaves and Obama in becoming the first African-American president in the US.

The too fictional too be true story of Sunny & Claus Von Bulow

Martha (Sunny) Von Bulow died this week after spending the last 28(!) years in hospitals and nursing homes diagnosed as a persistent vegetable. Her two children, who believed that she might still step up of her persistent state, kept bringing her fresh bouquets of flowers everyday and updating the family pictures on her night desk. They also believed that her husband, Claus Von Bulow, their stepfather, socialite, protégé of Paul Getty who was known as Europe's finest backgammon player, is responsible for her deep coma by injecting insulin into her veins.

Who killed Sunny?

Almost 28 years before her death, Sunny Von Bulow was found unconscious in her marble bathroom of her Newport mansion, with a syringe by her side. Her two children (from her previous marriage to Austrian Prince Alfred von Auersperg) ignored their mother's well known drug and alcohol dependency and accused their stepfather Claus Von Bulow of hypoglyceming her. Before falling into a 28 years coma, Sunny put her husband's name as the main beneficiary from her very wealthy inheritance, and they wanted him out of her will. (The couple also had a daughter, Cosima, but she stood by her father side all the way. Good girl).

On their first trial, they succeed. Claus Von Bulow was found guilty in two counts of attempted murder and sentenced 30 years in jail. Claus appealed. His big shot attorney Alan Dershowitz (the same one who helped acquitting OJ Simpson) brought a row of socialites to testify on Sunny alcohol and drug problems (Truman Capote among them), but what probably changed the court's mind was the team of scientists who proved that the same result (=coma) can be reached by an overdose of prescription drugs by someone with a chronic glucose intolerance such as Sunny. Claus Von Bulow was cleaned by the law, yet his stepchildren remained suspicious and banned him from visiting their comatose mother in her sleeping bed.

Prologue

• Sunny Von Bulow died on December 6, 2008, aged 76 from "cardiopulmonary failure".
• Her children spent most of their inheritance on preserving their mother's quality of life during the 28 years she was hanging in between zones.
• Claus Von Bulow did not wait for his wife to officially die to release the bird out of the cage. Shortly after her blackout, he showed off his new girlfriend on the cover of a popular magazine. According to Wikipedia, he is 82, lives in London and writes art and theatre reviews. Additional googling shows that he attended Andy Warhol's funeral.
• The movie Reversal of Fortune (with Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons) is based on Sunny & Claus Von Bulow story.

I've never seen myself as one of those winter people, whose eyes gets covered with mist when the first drop of rain hits the ground. I'm not a big fan of summer either. I like my weather in the background, where it does not stand in my way. Anyhow, like it or not, the winter is almost here (here), so I'll welcome it with a list of recommended winter activities: 

Vacation

Ski vacation is the best way to forget about the global warming. And Kitzbühel in Austria is the ultimate ski destination for all level skiers and snowboarders. 

TV 

Winter is the ultimate time for home activities. So what's on TV? January 2009 will bring new seasons of 24 and Lost. Pass me the remote dear! 

Food

Giving a recipe for my all times favorite one dish meal doesn't turn me into a desperate housewife right?

Simple Potato Soup:

Ingredients (4 servings): 

1 3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes

1 1/2 cups milk

2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

2 tablespoons chicken flavored soup powder

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Pour the mixture in a large pot and put on medium stove.
• Add 1 glass of water and stir until it becomes smooth and thick.

 Drink

Continuing with the Martha Stewart spirit: Russian hot chocolate is a combination of white Russian and hot chocolate. To prepare the white Russian you mix together about 2 ounces of coffee liqueur and about half amount of vodka, add hot chocolate (instead of milk), stir and serve in a big mug.

Game 

Winter is the best timing brush the dust of the old school board games. In long, cold weekends I like to sink into my 3000 pieces jigsaw puzzle or run endless backgammon marathons.