Keep Plodding On

"Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength"-Winston Churchill


April 9th, marks the day that Winston Churchill was made an honorary U.S. citizen by President John F. Kennedy.  During this ceremony President Kennedy described Churchill as a defender of freedom, a wartime leader, orator, historian, statesman and an Englishman.  Kennedy also stated that Churchill, "...mobilized the English language and sent it into battle".  The "let us go forward together," is probably Churchill's most famous quote, he used it during his May 13th, 1940 speech, when he addressed Britain to keep on fighting on against Hitler and his armies, even though they were invading and conquering most of Europe. Churchill also liked to use these phrases in everyday conversations to help keep morale up, KBO- Keep Buggering On and KPO- Keep Plodding On (he used this one around women as it was less offensive).

Personally, when I think about Churchill, I think back about the holiday (vacation) I spent with my dear friend, Emma, in 1999. Emma and I were taking in all the sites we could, and sometimes we hopped on the famous double decker red tour buses as a way to relax a bit, from pounding the pavement to catch the Underground (Tube Stations).  So there we were aboard the bus, when we both found ourselves listening to the guide give us little tidbits of info on each monument and statue we passed.  The one that has always stuck out in my mind from this trip, is the one of the Churchill statue in Parliament Square.  This is becuase the guide had shared some story about how there was rumor that Churchill had requested that there be some sort of electricity run through the statue so that no birds would shit on him, and if they did, they would be summoned to electroshock.  Of course, we just assumed the statue was kept cleaned as to appear that this were the case. Now this like I said is a rumor, but there was a purposal to have pins inserted into the head of the statue to keep the birds from sitting on Churchill's head (so truth be told, I think the tour guide misread his study guide for his tour info., and created that rumor himself).  Which makes me think of one of Churchill's witty sayings, "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on"- Churchill.

Anyway in honor of Churchill's honorary U.S. citizenship, I wanted to also share some of his famous quotes and the recipe for the Churchill Cocktail so you can raise a glass and join in the celebration of his life's achievements.

The Churchill Cocktail:
3 parts Scotch Whiskey (Churchill preferred Johnnie Walker)
1 part of freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part Sweet Vermouth
1 part Cointreau

Shake with ice, strain and serve in a chilled glass.

 

 

"We make a living by what we get, a life by what we give"

 

 

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts"

 

 

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen"