Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Sandy Paton
From:
lamarca
Date: 22 Jan 02 - 02:29 PM
Sandy, as my Polish Dziadek used to say, "Sto lat!" ("100 Years!" to be accompanied by a toast of Zubrowka or Slivovitz) Although Dzia-dzia only reached his nineties, I am fully confident that with liberal application of the appropriate Polish remedies, augmented with all the good wishes of your friends and fellow Catters, that you will celebrate many, many more b'days to come!
love, Mary
For the uninitiated, Slivovitz has been described thusly: "Slivovitz" when literally translated into "Plum Brandy" may lend a refined connotation and allow you think of a fruity aperitif. The national moonshine of most Eastern European countries, this clear deadly liquor is always served in petite glasses. Nowadays, slivovitz comes in a round bottle shaped like a thick coin or like a large perfume decanter; some say because it is reminiscent of the shape of a plum, some say because even a bottle can't stand up straight if slivovitz is inside.
and Zubrowka thusly: Zubrowka, the infamous Polish vodka, was banned in the U.S. by the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms in1978 for having the essence of bison grass in its makeup. Any product containing the extract of bison grass was banned because the BATF determined that a chemical in the extract was the source of a drug that thinned the blood. The grass reportedly came from the pastures where bison grazed. Bison grass has been reputed to enhance sexual prowess, has customarily been utilized as a flavoring agent in tobacco, candy and soft drinks and has been viewed as having medicinal attributes.
Seemed to work for my grandpa!
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sj
