Fish Movies

My dad asked me to write a blog post for Christmas.  Okay, that isn’t

1000% accurate. It is more like he implied it has been a while since I last posted something and we happened to be in the Christmas Holiday season. With my father in mind, I write this post, since he often asked me if I have seen a movie or show. 

Not to long ago, I was participating in a mini killer fish movie marathon with my husband. While watching movies and pulling up trivia on why certain actors look familiar, I discovered a Fandango Fish Movie Top 10 list. My husband disagreed with almost every movie on that list.  

Thinking about that conversation, I compiled a quick list of Fish Movies that are fun to watch. (Notice that I didn’t say they were good, just fun. Some of these are terrible movies.) Jon agrees with most of these movies, but certainly not all. 

Below is my quick list of Fish Movies that are varying shades of fun to watch and can be very loosely considered fish movies. 

Fun Fish Based Movies

1. Horror at Party Beach
2. Piranha
3. Up From the Depths
4. Piranha 2 
5. Creature from the Black Lagoon
6. Revenge of the Creature
7. Jaws 3
8. Creature from the Haunted Sea
9. Killer Fish (MST3K version preference)
10. Humanoids from the Deep

Do you have any Fish movies that you would put on the list? Something that might not be considered a good movie but is certainly a fun movie to watch for various reasons?

Full of Thanks

For a little while now I have had a mental block on writing.  It probably isn’t that much of secret, if you look at the last time I put up a blog post.  I even tried to jump start my writing by participating in NaNoWriMo, but despite encouragement, the words would not come. I can’t even tell you what triggered a mental block, because if I could then I would have been able to avoid it.  Maybe the adventures were too new and I wanted to soak them in before I spoke of them, maybe my brain has been busy solving anticipated problems at work, or maybe I was having an existential crisis.  It doesn’t really matter, I am writing now.

Recently (last week) I celebrated Thanksgiving.  It is a time to reminisce over the people in your life that have made a difference. It is also the carb loading cook off before one of the largest American shopping days of the year, Black Friday.  I personally am not one to participate in marathon shopping and as refuge for those that do not shop, my husband and I host Black Friday Game Day.

This annual gathering has grown through out the years into epic proportions of Tom foolery.  The diversity of games creates a jovial atmosphere that lead to good natured teasing.  It is not unrealistic to expect my terrible dice skills to be called out or for everyone to expect Ralph to be The Thing, even if he isn’t, because we all know he really is.  The point of Game Day is to come together and have fun. 

Here are a list of games that were accomplished this Black Friday Game Day:

• Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre
• The Thing
• Survive
• Murder of Crows
• Bears Vs Babies

I am thankful for everyone that came out to Game Day. It is the people in life that make the difference and it is always a joy to create good memories. Thank you.

Taste of Nostalgia

A trip to southern California is almost always tinged with nostalgia. I have a lot of family that lives out there and I spent my early years basking in its sunshine. When ever I am out there, I have a bucket list of things that I want to do.  It isn't a long list.  In fact it only consists of three items.

Teresa's California List
1. See Family
2. Eat at IN-N-OUT Burger
3. Do Tourist stuff

Jon and I just came back from our honeymoon in San Diego.  (Okay, it is really our 7th anniversary, but honeymoon sounds way more romantic.) One of the perks of being in San Diego, is that I was able to check off item #1 on my list rather quickly.  I able to to see family that I had not seen in little over a decade and catch up. It was pretty wonderful.  Jon is still imitating the youngest member's enthusiasm for painting rocks.

Checking off #2 on the list was not as easy.  Jon did not grow up with IN-N-OUT Burger.  There was an IN-N-OUT Burger less than a mile from our hotel. (I  solemnly swear I did not pick the hotel based off the proximity to my only fast food luxury, it was coincidence) The love for IN-N-OUT Burger does not run through my husbands veins. He does not know it is the best thing a person could eat when they get off of a flight.  In fact he was a skeptic on how much there is to appreciate in an IN-N-OUT Burger, until we went to get one.

The drive thru stretched onto the road, blocking half the parking lot as the smell of grilled meat permeated the air.  The parking was a precarious matter. Many swear words were uttered as the  rental car slide into a spot that defied logic.  Jon voiced his doubts on if this pilgrimage was even necessary. A hamburger is just a hamburger, and after all we had a 5 Guys at home, if I wanted a a greasy slab of regret served with a basket of julienned spuds, I could do so without the hassle.  Still I persevered and in short order we were in the glistening clean red and white tiled establishment ordering a double of California pride and joy.

The moment of truth arrived.  A double double with fries to go.  My husband with his first bite, proclaimed that his life was changed.

 He definitely said those words, but they were not even close to being sincere. By the end of the burger and fries, Jon had to admit it was a delicious and satisfying.  Maybe IN-N-OUT Burger is a native thing, but it doesn't matter. It is still a good burger. 

Goretacular 2018

October is a busy month for me.  One annual October event  is Goretacular.  Now most humans have no idea what Goretacular is, and sometimes I wish I didn't know what it was. Goretacular is the annual Horror Movie Marathon that my husband hosts.  If I were to gravitate towards movies selections, it would most likely not be anything in the Horror genre. My husband on the other hand, loves horror movies and especially adores B rated movies and if the two could be combined then there is a good chance it will end up in Goretacular.

Here is the 2018 Goretacular line up

1. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
2. Creepshow 2 (1987)
3. The Boxers Omen (1983)
4. Halloween III Season of the Witch (1982)
5. Abominable (2006)
6. In The Mouth of Madness (1994) (This is one of my favorites!)
7. Night of The Creeps (1986)
8. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

As if 8 movies wasn't enough, Goretacular spilled over into the next day with the following movies:

1. Black Magic (1975)
2. Black Magic 2 (1976)
3. RawheadRex (1986)
4. The Redeemer Son of Satan (1978)
5. The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Needless to say, even if horror movies is not your thing, there was a wide variety that could peak almost anyones interest.  It is sometimes hard to take older movies as horror movies, because they do not age well in what would offend the sensibilities, but they are classics that helped define a genre and lead the way for pushing the envelope.

The list of movies for Goretacular is often expansive and it gets culled based off of who shows up.  If you don't believe me, take a look at what was on the original possibilities list!

If you were to hold any type of  movie marathon, what sort of movies would be on your list?

Curse You Bundt Pan!

Curse You Bundt Pan!


It is my mother in laws birthday, and we are doing brunch at my house.  My husband and I just finished binge watching the first season with Noel Fielding as one of the co hosts of The Great British Bakeoff and we were feeling lofty about our baking abilities. (Depending on where you are from, I have no idea which season that really is.)  We had the brilliant idea of doing a lovely lemon and blueberry pound cake served with a Quiche Lorraine. All of it to be served with a white wine sangria.  It sounds super classy, delicious and relatively easy.

Jon and I decided to do the cake a day ahead so that we didn't have to rush this morning.  The recipe is one I found on Pinterest, and sounded easy enough.  Make the cake, put it in the pan, bake, cook and take it out of the pan, cool and icing.  I was good all the way to take the cake out of the pan.
In fact I think the cake decided that it would rather live in the bundt cake pan then ever see the light of day in one piece.  The sole bright side, is that despite it being an utter shape disaster, it was a magnificent  flavor masterpiece.  It tasted like blueberries and lemons.  Total flavor win, when something tastes the way it is expected.

Once we finally retrieved all of the cake bits from the nefarious bundt pan that is the bane of baking existence (or it is in my house).  Oh the swear words that came up, and then it evolved into our best impressions of common judge comments.  We had to come up with a Plan B to go with the quiche.  To the mighty internet we searched, and discovered that cake ruined by unruly bundt is a thing and that breakfast trifle is going to be a thing. Or at least a thing that we are serving for brunch. 

This set back could easily have ruined my day and weekend. I don't often utterly fail so hard at baking. I think the lesson learned is that baking is hard.  When life gives you lemons and your cake doesn't turn out, you just have to make the best out of what you have.  Trifles are amazing. The quiche is delightful and so is Sangria.  Happy Birthday Joanne!


For those interested, this is where I got the Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe:  Grandbaby Cakes

Grandpa's Cheese Barn

When you say the Grandpa's Cheese Barn, you are either mentally conjuring up a dilapidated old red barn that might be missing a few boards, with a couple of cow roaming around outside and looking a little sketchy or you are thinking about one of the hidden gems of Ohio.

Not Sketchy and Not a Red Barn!

Grandpa's Cheese Barn is like someone read my diary and discovered the way to my heart was through tourist attractions, cheese products and fart jokes. Grandpa's Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio covers all three.  Their mascot might be my new favorite mouse mascot.   The facility is neat and orderly and full of humor and food.  There was a little something for everyone there, even if cheese isn't your thing. (I am not judging, we have some dairy intolerant individuals in my family.)  

Colby! Perfect mascot name!

There were samples of  most items, which is extremely effective in convincing a person to try something, and the prices were modest. My husband totally decided he needed to come home with teriyaki beef jerky after a single sample. One of my favorite sections aside from the cheese, tea, jerky, snack food and chocolates, is the gift shop. I love a good gift shop, and the cheesier the items the better.  Their gift shop has a wide variety of shirts and other sundry items.  The thing that stole the show for me were the post cards. 

Some lucky people are getting this postcard from me!

I know that sending physical mail is an archaic form of communication, but I love it.  I love sending mail, I love receiving mail. When a gift shop has post cards, that is one of the first things I check out.  Postcards are a wonderful souvenir to remember where you have been, and often times have a picture on it that is way better then I could have taken.   Grandpa's Cheese Barn did not fail me.  They had their signature joke on their postcard and a postcard with their mousey mascot. It was a double win for me.  I picked up at least half a dozen postcards to send, mixed in with the cheese curds I couldn't live without and tea, jerky, t-shirt and soap that needed to be rescued.  The only thing that I couldn't not find in the gift shop were magnets. They might have been there, but I honestly think I was a bit distracted with amount of excitement I had coursing through me.  Grandpa's Cheese Barn is a dream.  It is one of those places that you thought was made up for television and then realize that this is better than any TV fantasy. T

If you happen to be in Ohio and see and exit for Grandpa's Cheese Barn, I would recommend stopping. The cheesy goodness that oozes out of that place is beyond belief!

Book of Teeth

Pisces Framed. 

Welcome to another episode of "Teresa is terrible at writing Etsy Reviews in a Timely Fashion".  I discovered this shop  through my other addiction, Kickstarter and it grew.  The shop/ artist I am talking about is Cody Vrosh. 

I first discovered him on Kickstarter when he was working on a Zodiac calendar and was offering prints of his work for backers. That might be the first selfish thing I ever supported on Kickstarter.  I debated for two days on getting the Pisces or the Aquarius for my best friend.  The voice in my head that is my husband prevailed and I ended up with Pisces for myself and promptly framed it when it arrived. 

Then came the Book of Teeth. I started stalking the artist through Twitter and then realized I could view the creations being created for the Book of Teeth on Instagram and follow the artist. I of course Kickstarted it and danced around like a lunatic when the book finally arrived.  I received to prints (not pictured) with the Book of Teeth of the smiling creatures of my choosing and it has been struggle on if I frame them and gift them or frame them and keep them.  It was been a joy to follow the artist, but it also made me aware of the Etsys page that Cody Vrosh has.  My wallet is beginning to feel some pain, but the happiness it brings is worth it. 

Reviewing the Etsy page brought additional surprises, in the form of jewelry.  I love unique jewelry. It make me happy and it is great way to self express. When I saw several pendants with Cody's art on it in his shop, I was in a quandary. Which one?  After much debating and perhaps I coin toss I was able to choose a pendant. It was exactly as I expected.  The pendant does come with a chain, but not a great chain. I swapped the change out (not pictured) to something else I previously had, so that it would hang  where I preferred on my neck. The pendant is detailed, light weight and perfect for the rest of my octopus life.  I have seriously been debating on getting a second piece just because it is a unique statement piece and easy to slip on and go. 

Around Christmas, I annually hold a White Elephant Party, and the fun part is seeing the diverse gifts that everyone brings. I had purchased a print for the White Elephant party that I thought would spark the interest of several of my friends.  It involved cats and reading. A perfect combination. I decided to frame the print and paint a mat to match.  That was a terrible idea. Once I had it all put together, I no longer wanted to give it away. Instead I ended up re arranging the art on my wall and giving it a home.  The moral of the story is that you should check out this artist on which ever social media is your preferred platform, or peruse his Etsy page. I think that the art is imaginative, energetic with a touch a bio mechanical with being dreary.

The House Where Evil Lurks: A Review

I have to admit that I am a sucker for ghost stories.  I like the historical factor that is associated with them.  The idea that the energy of an event or a person can consciously or unconsciously linger over time is intriguing. 

I just finished reading The House Where Evil Lurks: A Paranormal Investigators Most Frightening Encounter by Brandon Callahan. My mind is muddled over what to think of it.  The book is written in first person, and in some ways feels a little bit like a movie script. I don’t know if that is because of the way the story unfolds, or if I have watched too many episodes of Ghost Hunters /Most Haunted and can visualize what each scene would look like.  The events that unfold are interesting and can keep the readers interested.  By the end of the book, I tended to wonder about the cats, but that probably has more to do with me being a cat person, than any intent on the authors part. 

Overall the book is about as frightening as an episode of Most Haunted or Ghost Hunters.  It gives you enough history for your mind to make certain leaps and jumps, but not enough to leave the average reader shaking in their boots.  If anything, the picture of the cover is a bit more sinister than the recollections of the paranormal investigation.  

I am sure that some people would want to take every word seriously, but seeing that I was reading for pleasure and not to expand upon paranormal investigation skills, I found it was easy to skim some parts with out losing the gist of what was happening.  It was an easy beach read, that kept me amused as I was slowly roasted by the unrelenting solar rays.  I enjoyed the book, and would lend it out if someone was interested in that sort of genre.  If I were to give it a rating it would be 3 stars out of 5 stars.  A good beach read, with low investment of mental energy to enjoy. 

Quilters Convention: Inspiration!

Jacket quilting envy

Over the weekend there was a Quilt Odyssey 2018 at the Hershey Lodge and  Convention Center.  I didn't even know that quilting conventions existed until the family communication chain kicked in.  (Communication chain of my mother in law heard it on the radio and told my father in law, who then relayed it to my husband while at the gym and by some strange miracle he remembered and told me when he got home.) After a little bit of waffling I decided to attend. Fate would have it that my dear friend GAT was free, so she joined me in the land of quilts.

I love the lyrics!

I honestly had no idea what to expect at the convention, and it blew my mind.  There are some seriously talent individuals out there that have far more patience then I will ever achieve. One quilt that particularly made me smile was the Mosura no Uta quilt by Amy Peterson.

Mosura No Uta

Not only was it a beautiful and well detailed quilt, it was also a tribute to  Mothra, who is well known in the Godzilla folklore. The quilter actually had the song embroidered on to the quilt along with detailed moths.  To me it was a beautiful blend of skill combined with a sense of humor.  It spoke to me and made me feel better about some of the ideas I have with quilting. 

Another quilt that was inspiring, was one called Mike's Heart by Miyuki Humphries.  The little bio talked about how this was a therapy quilt for a husband that had pass away. It was beautiful and made me tear up a little bit.  I can completely relate to quilting being therapy. I have sat for several hours at a sewing machine sewing squares together as I sort through things that trouble me.  The amount of detail on the project was astounding.

Mike's Heart

Not only where there beautiful quilts on display and several raffles that a person could enter. (I am totally going to win at least one of the quilts I put tickets in for. I can feel it.) They also had a wonderful merchants corner, where it was fun to sort through fabric, look at kits and machines.  Despite the fact that GAT doesn't sew (she is a cross stitcher at heart), she had fun sorting through fabric with me and keeping an eye out for unusual fabric patterns or unique items that worked with my style.  By the end of the convention, we were both thrilled with the purchases that we made and looked forward to upcoming projects. 

I think that any convention that inspires a person, is worth while to attend. I have marked my calendar for next years convention and have already started on a couple of projects that I had been putting off.  Inspiration is wonderful, what ever the source!

Yon & Mu

I wanted to write a back story about how I received a book in the mail from some friends.  It was going to be epic, but then I realized I would take too long and I really wanted to write about the book I just read. So, I am going to do that in stead and save the story of Dave and Crista for another time, when I can put it into a proper iambic pentameter it deserves. 

I just finished reading Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu and now I need to go hug my cats.  It is an incredibly sweet story from a well known horror manga artist.  The art style is exactly what you would think a horror artist should look like, and it completely adds to the charm of story in a weird way.

After my husband finished the book, vet appointments were required for both of our cats and mandatory cuddling. (The vet appointments were to verify that both of the boys are in good health and will live a good long time, and not because there is anything wrong with them.  This is a prime example on how books influence life.) 

IF you love cats, I would highly recommend this manga.  It is balm to a cat lovers soul and in some ways it  really illustrates what it is like to share living space with furry divas. The art is creepy but that is part of its charm, and it immortalizes the relationship between cat and human and how ownership works.  In some ways I felt like I was reading out the adventures of my own two fur beasts.  

I don’t think a blog post about a manga about the adventures of becoming a cat owner would be complete with out me sharing a couple of pictures of Dib and Iggins.  

Hot Avocado

I suddenly understand how the people feel after a conversation with me when I have had too much tea.  This sudden understanding was brought to me by an conversation I just had with my father.

Dad:  I just got a dozen avocados from a friend, the heat wave had them drop. They are tasty.

Me: I like avocados, but I don’t like them warm.

Dad: Why would you do that to an avocado? 

Me: I don’t, but they make avocado egg rolls and they are terrible.

Dad: I think Del Taco puts it in their burrito.  

Me: That is not quite the same thing.  

Dad: It is a warm avocado.  Besides you are only eating it for the hot sauce.

Me: We don’t have Del Taco out here.

Dad: You are missing out on the taco sauce.  They give you like, eight packets at a time and you might only use four or five.  I think it would only take a month to save up the extra packets and I can send you a box.

Me: Please don’t.  That is crazy old man talk.

Dad: But it is good sauce, and you might like it if you try it.  Don’t you like hot sauce?

Me: ....Yes, I like hot sauce, but don’t collect Del Taco hot sauce packets and send them to me.

Dad: .....but....it won’t  take that long....

The Turtle Moves

There was an escaped turtle in my backyard.

This turtle might be a ninja or at the very least a reincarnation of Houdini.  Maybe he has been reading too much Terry Pratchet. The turtle (whom I have name Mr. Turtle) lives three fenced in yards down from mine in a pond.  I have no idea how he is making it into my yard. This isn’t the first time this has happened.  The other week Mr. Turtle was found under my car.  I suspect he was trying to hot wire it.

The mystery of how he is getting in my yard is puzzling at best, but the trick of getting him back to his yard is task and a half.  The first round where Mr. Turtle was caught before he could steal my car, it was easy to get him back to his home.  All the neighbors were chilling outside and the clamor of finding a rather larger turtle drew their attention over the fences.  This time after establishing that none of the neighbors are home and that turtles can move rather quickly when they want to,  developed a friendship with Mr. Turtle.  After much one sided discussion and eyeing up my neighbors back yard  and discussing the virtues of staying in their own yard, wandered into my neighbors vibrant foliage and returned Mr. Turtle to his home.

This adventure with Mr. Turtle just makes me think about Terry Pratchett’s book Small Gods.  The more I think about it, I could have had a god in my backyard.

You can't trample infidels when you're a tortoise. I mean, all you could do is give them a meaningful look. - Terry Pratchett

Sibling Communication

Actual text conversation with my brother. 

The best relationships might be built on dinosaurs.

Consumed: A Review

Hello,

Welcome to a book review. It has been a long time since I actually sat down and wrote about something I read. Let us take an adventure and see I can remember how to talk about books!

Recently I finished the book, Consumed by Aaron Mahnke.  I received this book as part of a gift exchange at my job.  The coworker that gifted the book to me is a big fan of the the podcast, Lore that the author hosts.  I am one of those few people that have not listened to the podcast, which means I have no idea what this authors usual style is, or if this book is comparative to it.

Consumed is a novel that is little over 300 pages, but feels like a much shorter novel.  The main character is researching information based for a novel they want to write and stumble upon more than one body that has been partially consumed.  (See how I worked the title of the story into what actually happens in the story?  High five to me!)  The rest of the story is solving what is eating people.

The story is enjoyable, and moves along pretty well. The ending isn't wrapped up in brown paper and tied with a string.  The conclusion is a little open ended, but not in a way that would allow for a sequel. I would recommend the book based off the fact that it is an easy read that doesn't require you to be attached to multiple characters, and that the folklore that is being utilized is not something that is typically done.   It seems like most folklore gets turned into fantasy of werewolves or vampires and sometime the occasional mermaid, but this is none of those. 

If you have read the book, what did you think?

Lizard Men tried to Sell Me a Car

Lizard men tried to sell me a car. 

That isn’t the complete truth.  I have no verifiable proof they were Sleestaks in disguise, but I am one of those people that trusts their instincts.  

A month ago, I was on the verge of buying a vehicle from a lizard man.  In the beginning, I didn’t know he was a lizard man, he seemed human.  He did all the right things, took his time explaining the features of the vehicle to me, while letting me behind the wheel.  Some things I really liked about the vehicle.  My husband was practically bouncing in his seat, because I was warming up to the idea that a car can be utilitarian and luxury. 

Then it happened.  It was kind of like that episode of Land of the Lost, where they think they are home, and then the phone rings, and a voice from beyond the grave ruins the illusion.  The voice beyond the headrest completely ruined the interest I had in purchasing a vehicle. High pressure salesmen combined with over enthusiastically helpfulness to the point of talking down hits all of the buttons of disinterest in me. 

I think with a little bit of liquor, the inner monologue could have been an out monologue.  Sadly I am responsible and boozing up to test drive vehicles, isn’t exactly recommended, even if it would numb the pain of social awkwardness. 

I mean Seriously Dude! I am sure that lane assist is a useful feature, but frankly it isn’t a selling point for me. I would like to think I can stay in my own lane without the vehicle silently judging and correcting me.  Also only a creep would purposely try to distract the driver on a highway to show them features on the steering wheel in the dark.  Total Sleestak move.  Humans just don’t have that sort of night vision and need to pay attention to things such as speed limits and curves in the road.  I can’t be touching the steering wheel to change the dashboards screen while I am going sixty on a highway I have never been on.  It is just asking me to be a stereotype email driver. Not interested in being a stereotype. 

Needless to say, I didn’t buy the vehicle.  Especially after the callings, emailing and texts I received a the following week.  It was like a bad date, where the guy suddenly thinks you are soul mates, because you politely laughed at one dumb joke that wasn’t even funny.   Total Sleestak move.   

Eventually I did purchase a vehicle. It was from a totally different dealership that was super chill.   But chill in a good way, like some one you means dude as a compliment and drinks fancy coffee. Sometimes it is hard to remember you don’t have to commit to Sleestaks.  Just because the lizard man is there does not mean you have to be  romantically involved with them and you certainly don’t have to buy vehicles from them.   

My advice: Be chill and finds something at that makes you feel comfortable and then go one step further if at all possible.  You will thank you for being good to yourself. 

( Land of the Lost  episode is  called Dream Maker. 1992) 

Unusual Advice Source

You can get advice from all sorts of places. Some people ask friends, family or even write their question down for a newspaper personality to answer.  About a month ago, I was with my mother in law and aunt in law at a John Edwards show and received some really good advice. 

For those that are not familiar with John Edwards, he used to be a television medium on the show Crossing Over.  (He speaks with the dead. Or maybe the dead speak with him. I am not 100% sure how this works. I am hoping it isn’t like 6th Sense sort of stuff.) If you were to look him up you would find a bunch of YouTube videos and a South Park episode dedicated to him.

I should probably clarify that this is not the usual source type I would go to for advice. My belief level is closer to Dana Scully than it is to Fox Murder on this. However, I digress.  As I sat there in the crowd of people, hoping that John Edwards focus would not rotate to my corner pocket of the room, I was to pick out some really good advice he was giving to the room full of grief stricken people.  

Here is the advice I was able to take home with me.

1. The best way to defuse a situation with another person on a difference of opinion is to acknowledge the situation and then walk away.  The best phrase to use is, “Oh, that’s interesting.” It acknowledges the opinion but doesn’t agree or disagree with the opinion, thus making the person feel listened to and taking the wind out of their sails. 
2. Just because you ask a question, does not mean you will get the answer you want. To solve any problem, you have to be open to all possible answers, even the answers you don’t want to hear. 
3. It is okay to give yourself time to grieve. Everyone does it in their own way, but the important part is to do it.  It isn’t just people, it can be a change in situation that can shock the senses, and sometimes a person just needs time to digest. Allow yourself to adjust to new situations and people. 

While I might not recommend a medium as a source to answer all of life’s questions, it is important to recognize that when you receive good advice, it doesn’t really matter the source.  I think the key is to be open to new ideas that challenge the current pattern of thinking.   What do you think?

Odd Change

My purse is a bottomless black hole of weirdness. There is typically an assortment of receipts, lipsticks and fine point pens that live in the bottom of my purse.  Everything in my purse is normal, except for one, two or twenty things that I keep in the change portion of my wallet.

I have over a dozen flattened coins in my wallet. I keep them as a reminder of some of the places that I have been and that there are good times out there.  Not all good times have to cost a lot of money to be memorable.  

I would like to think that everyone keeps something sentimental with them. Check out my friend Faye’s blog (The Hook and the Pen)to find out the odd thing she keeps in her purse. 

Writing Prompt: Describe one odd item that you have in your purse or wallet right now. 

Stephen Murderface Frogmonster

There is murder in that frogs eyes.  You can just tell that it is slowly plotting your doom as soon as it figures out how to get free.  My  brother has come up with a new way to torment me for the rest of my life.  He bought a Pyxie (Pyxicephalus) bull frog that can life up to 45 years.  In his infinite wisdom he has decided that if anything untoward were to happen to him, that I should be the caregiver of the ball of amphibian hatred.  This is not something that I am overjoyed with. 

I have tried to convince him that any of his children would be honored to be the keeper of Stephen Murderface Frogmonster if the end were to come sooner to him than his frog pal, but he just isn’t having any of it.  He feels that I would think of him every time I had to feed it and it would be the gift that keeps on giving. 

This frog can group up to nine inch big and eat small rodents.  Steven Murderface Frogmonster tries to attack and eat anything in his tank. I am pretty sure this is how monster movie start.  Knowing my brother it will probably break records in frog size and longevity. I am going to be fearful for my cats.  

I have started collecting southern recipes on preparing Frog Legs as a precaution. 

Grocery Store Mayhem

I thought she was going to throw a chicken at me. 

I worry. Sometimes I think that I worry for the sake of worrying.  My brain goes in circles and makes something out of nothing.  It has been six years since I last saw my best friend and I worry that we won’t be able to connect in person.

Faye and I met in elementary school. We saw each other everyday and had frequent sleep overs and joined each other on family trips.  Then I moved when I was fourteen and we have spent the next twenty four years keeping in touch through letter writing and sporadic visits.  The last time I saw her in person, was six years ago. A lot can change in six years. My head whirled over whether or not we would actually get a long in real life.  After all, how was I to know if I had some annoying habit that would drive her up the wall?  Maybe I snort when I laugh or twitch weirdly or worse yet, not get her sense of humor.  Or what if she licks her envelopes? What if we just can’t relate to each other?

Like a true worrywart, it was all for nothing.  We were in the grocery store, picking up supplies for cookies and the she threatened to throw a chicken at me.  I’ll admit I was being a brat. I was twisting her words like an angsty teenager in the middle of a story, and  I was working on her last nerve.  She threatened to throw something at me and happened to have a chicken handy. The crazy look in here her eyes and mirth around the mouth was a definite sign that we hadn’t lost a beat.  I told her to bring it. I was not afraid to get kicked out of a mid west grocery store I’ll never see again.  The kid manning the checkout was not amused with either one of us.  We were causing a scene at checkout number five and the line was beginning to build up. We had confirmed our friendship in the weirdest way. 

Faiths Knotty Designs

I am slowly coming to realization that I am terrible at writing reviews in a timely manner.  I feel like  Etsy is silently condemning me as my number of reviews stack up.  I know that some people find it silly to leave a review on every purchase, butI think it is important.  Most of the Etsy sellers are putting a lot of time and effort into a product and should be recognized for the effort they are putting into the creative item they are selling.  In short, I am going to attempt to write and share my reviews on my latest Etsy acquisitions. 

One of the most recent items I have purchased on Etsy was from FaithsKnottyDesigns. I have a love for jewelry. I also have a metal allergy. This can sometimes hinder what pieces of jewelry I wear when.  Large statement pendants are typically out of my wardrobe due to the fact they have a tendency to lay on the skin and not move. While I was snooping around on Etsy looking for something unique to add to my collection, I came across a beautiful statement piece. Not only was it beautiful, it was guaranteed not to give me the itchy scratches later. 

This statement piece is a crocheted floral necklace in a dusty rose cream color from FaithsKnottyDesigns.  The ordering process with FaithsKnottyDesigns was simple and efficient. They were quick to put the piece in the mail and sent along a complimentary chapstick holder.  (I am part child and promptly put it on my finger. It was a perfect fit.  I don’t know if it is good to have a finger the size of chapstick or not. I will dwell on this later.)

I love the necklace.  It is light weight and comfortable along with beautiful.  My only wish is that they had a couple more in their shop in various colors, because I think it would be a nice gift to give a couple of friends. Overall I would most likely buy this product again, and I look forward to checking out items in their shop.

Experimenting on Old People

You are not to experiment on old people.

Say it again.

You are not to experiment on old people.

Say it one more time so it sticks.

You are not to experiment on old people.

Berating myself about using my grandparents for taste testers is not really going well.  It lacks sincerity. It isn’t like they left clutching their stomachs in agony.  That in itself makes it a successful brunch, right?

Truth be told I learned the art of experimentation on guests from my grandmother.  She would often have several experimental dishes when she would host holiday dinners. (And most of us have survived.)

After I lured them into the house with the help of the charming Dib cat, the real fun began. The food experiment this time was something that my grandmother loves and that would be baked oatmeal.  A traditional baked oatmeal typically tastes like an oatmeal cookie and you pour milk over it while it is warm.  The one I tried is from Five Hearte Home and is called Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal. 

Oh, my goody goody gumdrops is it good.  It tastes like a cross between an oatmeal cookie and banana bread.  The maple syrup in it and more to go one it adds the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the density that the oatmeal brings.    The best part is that it was easy to make and doesn’t need to bake for an eternity.  If you are looking for something different that is relatively healthy, I would certainly check it out. 

No grandparents were harmed in the making of the baked oatmeal. So far all participants have survived. Further testing will be conducted.