Goddess of Random Thoughts!

Old Lang Syne

2011-12-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

The following is a repost from my TheStoriesLaTells blog

No, it's not a story but it's a song that is sung each year and yet most of us know nothing about it.

The song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung by most of us on the stroke of midnight each New Years Eve however in Scotland, where Auld Lang Syne originates it is also sung on Burns Night, January 25th, to celebrate the life of the author and famous poet Robert Burns.

Auld Lang Syne is also said to be used as a graduation and funeral song in Tiawan and Hong Kong and as a graduation song in Japan and Hungary.

The song/poem has been found in earlier forms in 15th and 17th century volumes by anonymous authors.
But Robert Burns found a song ,

which never was in print, nor even in manuscript, until he took it down
from an old man singing,—adding that the poetry was enough to recommend any air.
About the same time he sent another copy to James Johnson for the now celebrated
Standard Collection of Scottish Songs, the "Scots Musical Museum;" and it was
printed and published for the first time in December 1796, in the fifth volume
of that work, about five months after Burns died.

Check this website for more complete information on Robert Burns and Auld Lang Syne:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/langsyne.htm

THe song is about love and friendship in times past. The lyrics in the song Auld Lang Syne referring to 'We'll take a Cup of Kindness yet' relate to a drink shared by men and women to symbolize friendship.

It is bandleader Guy Lombardo that popularized the song and made it a New Years tradition.
Lombardo first heard "Auld Lang Syne" in his hometown of London, Ontario, where it was sung by Scottish immigrants. The song became a part of his bands repetoire. Lombardo played the song at midnight at a New Year's eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1929, and thus a New Year's tradition was born.

AULD LANG SYNE
Words adapted from a traditional song
by Robert Burns (1759-96)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

Chorus

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

Chorus

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

Chorus

Meanings
auld lang syne - times gone by
be - pay for
braes - hills
braid - broad
burn - stream
dine - dinner time
fiere - friend
fit - foot
gowans - daisies
guid-willie waught - goodwill drink
monie - many
morning sun - noon
paidl't - paddled
pint-stowp - pint tankard
pou'd - pulled
twa - two

Same Auld Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg
Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Try this slightly different new years drink.....

Apple Cider Sparkle
•6 cups apple cider

•2 cups cranberry/raspberry cocktail (orange juice, orange-mango or your favorite juice blend)

•1 bottle (750 mL) champagne (or sparkling wine)

•1/2 cup lemon juice

1)In punch bowl, large pitcher, or even several pitchers, combine apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. 2)Just before your guests arrive, slowly add champagne or sparkling wine.
3)Serve immediately or keep chilled with large ice blocks.
4)Makes approximately 15 servings.

*For a non-alcoholic punch, use chilled sparkling grape juice in place of the wine or champagne.

Start with Yourself

2011-05-24T02:44:00.001-07:00

Dream.
Inspire...Encourage one person at a time, starting with yourself!

Unwritten.....Release your inhibitions!

2011-03-23T19:14:00.001-07:00

I love this song!!!!
(to turn off blog music to to the bottom of the blog)

"Unwritten"

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined

I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines

We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten

Brown Chicken Brown Cow

2011-03-22T19:07:00.001-07:00

This video is toooo funny! I love Trace Adkins songs :-D
(pssst...to turn off the blog music, go to the bottom of blog)

Today is Macaron Day!!

2011-03-20T03:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, I said macaron not macaroon! Today, in France and in New York City, is Macaron Day.

"Jour du Macaron" is an annual celebration of the meringue-based "cookies" that come in a rainbow of colors and fillings.

Pierre Hermé began this event in 2005. He offers free macarons in his Paris stores, as do other participating members of the Relais Desserts association, which represents the top pastry chefs in the world.
The event supports Autour des Williams, a charity that funds research into rare diseases and provides assistance to those afflicted by Williams-Beuren syndrome. Donations to the charity are accepted in each participating shop.

In 2010, François Payard, chef and owner of François Chocolate Bar and François Payard Bakery in New York, organized the first annual Macaron Day in NYC.

What, exactly, is a Macaron???

According to Wiki:

"A macaron is a sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies.

Its name is derived from an Italian word "maccarone" or "maccherone". This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond past which is the principal ingredient.

It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.
The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot"), flat base, mildly moist and easily melted into mouths.
Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavors that range from the traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to the new (truffle, green matcha tea). The fillings can range from jams, ganache, or buttercream.

Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the Coconut macaroon, many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language. However, this has caused confusion over the correct spelling of the cookie/biscuit. Some recipes exclude the use of macaroon to refer to this French confection while others think that they are synonyms."

The following links are some of my favorite places to read about macarons and find macaron recipes. And no I haven't made any at home....yet! Making macarons takes preparation....I'm still working on it :-P

http://mactweets.blogspot.com/

http://macaron-fetish.blogspot.com/

http://ladymacaron20ten.blogspot.com/

http://madaboutmacarons.com/leblog

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/01/21/whet-your-palate-colorful-french-macarons/

http://www.mercotte.fr/2008/03/20/desperatly-seeking-macarons/

http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/2008/08/lots-of-macarons.html

http://macarondaynyc.com/

Parisian Macaroons

recipe found at http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/parisian-macaroons

Makes about 16 filled macaroons

1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds

6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Macaroon Filling

Directions

1.To make the macaroons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners' sugar mixture until completely incorporated.

2.Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch #4 round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. The batter will spread a little. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macaroons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.

3.Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macaroons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macaroons from the parchment. Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

4.To fill the macaroons: Fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macaroons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macaroons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

5.Variations: To make coffee-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops brown food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, blend 1/2 cup macaroon filling with 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon warm water for the filling. To make cassis-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops purple food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, use 1/3 cup good-quality cassis jam for the filling. To make pistachio-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops green food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, combine 1/2 cup macaroon filling with 1 tablespoon pistachio paste for the filling.

.

Wednesday March 9, 2011 is World Read Aloud Day!

2011-03-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

So go out there, or stay in, and read with someone. Reading to children is wonderful but there are others out there of all ages that would like to be read to!
For more info check out my Storytelling Sub Blog post for WRAD...
Now go and read your favorite book to someone!

Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Suess, Pride and Prejudice....anything at all...just READ!!!!

Spunky Old Broads Month!!

2011-02-27T20:10:00.002-07:00

OMGosh!! I almost missed it!
February is (almost was) Spunky Old Broads Month!
What is a Spunky Old Broad?
Basically a SOB (oooo... I wonder if they did that on purpose???) is woman 50 and over who is living life to the fullest. Age does not define her.

So all of you Spunky Old Broads out there.....stand up and be counted!

Shout out loud..."I'm an SOB and I'm proud!!" (hmmm...maybe not)

Warning - When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple

with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired

and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

and run my stick along the public railings

and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

and pick the flowers in other people's gardens

and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

and eat three pounds of sausages at a go

or only bread and pickles for a week

and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

and pay our rent and not swear in the street

and set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

By Jenny Joseph

(personally, I've decided to wear tie dye and lots of orange!)

Just a few of my Favorite Love Songs....Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-13T17:30:00.001-07:00

In no particular order...(I'm sure that there are many that I have forgotten)

Alright y'all let's just....Try A Little Tenderness with Otis Redding.....hmm might even work with men

Miss Etta James singing the haunting At Last...

Uh, uh, uh.....the Jackson 5 singing I'll Be There....a classic!

No one sings it like Stevie....I Just Called to Say I Love You, I just called to say how much I care...if only

I just love this song... I Hate You then I Love You.... waaay too many relationships are like that...

Lovin' You...is easy 'cause you're beautiful.....the great Minnie Ripperton

Some maynot think this is a love song but it is about love.....Queen singing Somebody to Love

OMG! Unchained Melody used in the movie Ghost....am I the only one that just wants to cry when they see this????

Sing it Percy! When a Man Loves a Woman.... what you say???

What a wonderful performance....Joe Crocker, Patti Labelle and Billy Preston...You Are So Beautiful

A great scene and a greater song....I Will Always Love You sung by Dolly Parton (I probably would have stayed)

Whitney did a pretty good job too....

Like Paul says you'd think that people would have had enough of Silly Love Songs....

Happy New Year 2011 - Auld Lang Syne ( lyrics)

2010-12-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!!!....vintage Frosty The Snowman

2010-12-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Happy National Coffee Day!!

2010-09-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

Dang! I can't believe I almost missed this!
Yep, today is the day to celebrate the joys of drinking coffee.

I personally celebrate coffee everyday but today I've been drinking my favorite chicory coffee. I made it so strong that I swear it's starting to fight back.

In celebration of the day, why not read up on the history of coffee or check out the National Coffee Day info on Facebook.

National Nanny Recognition Week 2010 ......September 19 - 25

2010-09-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Happy National Nanny Recognition Week! I received this via email today. I love their description of a Nanny! Read it carefully.......

To all the wonderful nannies out there who are so much more than "just a nanny".

All the best during this wonderful week of National Nanny Recognition!

PROUD TO BE A NANNY!!!

Nanny (nah-nee) n. childcare provider, activities director, teacher, dresser, beautician, nutritionist, chef, hygienist, janitor, nurse, dramatic reader, performer, entertainer, costume-maker, arts-and-crafts instructor, dance partner, chauffeur and stroller pusher, personal shopper, secretary, historian, detective, confidant, companion, counselor, coach, body-guard, self-defense instructor, tutor, cheerleader, appreciative audience, hugger, boo-boo kisser, potty trainer, learner, listener, helper, arbiter, peace-keeper, honorary extended-family member, life-long influence, shaper of the future.

From,

The Central Florida Nannies Support Group

If you need any ideas, here are a few.....

Ways to Appreciate Your Nanny

♥ Say Thank You ♥ Tell your friends good things about her knowing she will hear them back ♥ a surprise day off ♥ Have the children say Thank You ♥ Treat your nanny to breakfast or dinner made by the family ♥ a card and framed photo of the family ♥ Membership fees to a local nanny support group or other Professional Organization ♥ Pay for conference fees to Nannypalooza or INA with paid professional days to attend the event ♥ Tuition for college courses ♥ CPR Training ♥ Pay for dinner out with friends ♥ a raise ♥ an IRA ♥ gift basket of favorite treats ♥ gift certificates to favorite stores ♥ movie tickets ♥ gift certificate for manicure/pedicure or massage ♥ gym membership ♥ handmade card or gift from the child/children ♥ frequent flier miles to travel home ♥

Another Book List

2010-09-11T20:34:00.003-07:00

There are lots of lists on the internet.
Many of them are supposed to be the top 100 books that we should read. I've looked at quite a few of those book lists and usually have read about 25 to 40 of the books but never all of them. Many of the books I agree with... meaning that I agree that more people should read them. But some of the books held no interest for me and I suspect not a lot of interests for other folks either.
I also think a lot of the lists cheat by counting an entire series of books...like the Harry Potter series or Phillip Pullman's Dark series... as one book. One list has the entire works of Shakespeare as one item. Totally not fair!

I like the list I've decided to put up here because it's made up entirely of free books you can find online. I love it! Books that are easily accessible to everyone. Many of the books are free because they are classics and in public domain. Some of the books, I have no idea where they are from and why they are free but hey, who am I to complain?
I've marked the books I've read completely with orange writing and the ones I've read partially with red writing.
Hmmm....interesting, I don't seem to have read any of the books in the finance, business or economics sections....surprising??? I think not ;-P

BTW, I found this list at the blog for BestCollegesOnline.com

****************************************************Classics
The Internet can be a great place to find some of the most important works of literature from the past few hundred years. Here are just a few works that have made must-read lists that you can access for free.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Pilgrimages were a major part of medieval life and you can enjoy several different perspectives as Chaucer’s characters travel to Canterbury Cathedral.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: This well-loved novel follows the hi jinks of young Tom Sawyer, full of humor, adventure and fun.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: French bourgeois life in all of its soul-crushing triviality is explored through the character of Emma Bovary in this novel.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Follow along with this book as Captain Ahab tracks down his arch-nemesis the legendary white whale.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo: Full of tragic characters, this novel explores life from its beauty to its horror.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Is murder ever justified? This novel explores through its main character the student Raskolnikov.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: This sci-fi novel is full of adventure as a group of sailors try to track down a deadly sea monster.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This story explores the many difficulties associated with marriage and morality in 18th century England.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre follows Jane, an orphan, throughout her life providing readers with a compelling story full of love, social criticisms and many elements characteristic of the Gothic novel.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: Get a more personalized tale of life during the French Revolution as the monarchy is replaced by a regime responsible for terror and numerous executions.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Many know little of this novel other than that its long, but the story takes readers through the impact of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia through a vast and varied cast of characters.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: Treachery and lost love form the basis for this novel by Three Musketeers author Dumas.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: This novella takes readers to the depths of the Congo to find the mysterious Kurtz, along the way exploring ideas of imperialism.
Ulysses by James Joyce: The classical Modernist novel, Ulysses follows the story of the Odyssey through stream of consciousness writing that’s been called everything from brilliant to obscene.
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse: This novel parallels the life of the Buddha, employing Eastern philosophy in a beautiful and poignant tale of a quest for enlightenment.
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Set in the years following WWI, this book explores the life of Princeton student Amory Blaine as he struggles with greed, morality, status and more.
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: When the Victorian scientist at the center of this story propels himself forward in time he discovers a world that may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: This abolitionist novel helped fuel the movement towards the end of slavery in the United States.
Little Women by Louise May Alcott: Follow along with the young women in this novel who come of age in this 19th century setting.
Don Quixote by Cervantes: This famous Spanish novel follows the often absurd travels of Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.
The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: Originally published in a magazine, this collection of definitions is entertaining, enlightening and controversial.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Readers will be familiar with the title character in this novel who leads a double life as the unpredictable Mr. Hyde.
Dracula by Bram Stoker: With all the hubbub about vampires these days why not read the classic vampire novel about the most famous vampire of them all?
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: This psychological short story will have readers questioning their own judgment about what’s real and what’s imagined.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis is one of Kafka’s most famous short stories, transforming traveling salesman Gregor into a horrifying cockroach.

Philosophy and Religion
These famous works will help you get a better understanding of religious and philosophical theories from around the world and through many different periods of time.

Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary: This series of essays is highly critical of French life during the 19th century and takes aim at the government, society and religious institutions.
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes: This 17th century book on social contract theory explores the nature of legitimate government and the structure of society.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: This book deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same", the "death of God", and the "prophecy" of the Overman, themes expanded on from earlier writings.
Beyond Good and Evil by Freidrich Neitszche: This work expands on Thus Spoke Zarathustra, attempting to move beyond traditional definitions of good and evil and tries to gain a better sense of the nature of knowledge and the condition of modern man.
Discourse of a Method by Renee Descartes: This philosophical and mathematical work is essential to understanding modern science and thought.
The Tao Te Ching by Laozi: Written in the 6th century, this text is fundamental to the Taoist school of Chinese thought and has had influence throughout the centuries since its creation.
The Bible: Even if you’re not a Christian, the Bible will help inform your understanding of numerous aspects of Western society from great art to historical motivations.
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Breaking with the corrupt and indulgent Catholic Church of the Baroque era, this work marks the beginnings of Protestantism.
The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant: Regarded as the most important work by this German philosopher, The Critique of Pure Reason investigates the limitations reason itself.
The Sayings of Confucius: With lessons on morality, social relationships, justice and society at large, these teachings form the foundation of Confucianism.
The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell: This book is an attempt to create a more accessible guide to the issues of philosophy.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens: The mythology of ancient Greece and Rome is a part of any complete reading of Western history.
The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer: This study of mythology and religion takes a logical approach to understanding the place of these in modern society.

Politics, Economics and History
Check out these free books to learn more about some important political and economic ideas.

The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels: Even if you don’t agree with the tenets of socialism you can’t argue about the importance of this work that’s essential to understanding political and philosophical thought in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Common Sense by Thomas Paine: Those looking to learn more about American history will appreciate this work that encouraged colonists to pursue freedom from British rule.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith: Scottish economist Adam Smith’s well-known work explores the intricacies of the economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli: While today Machiavelli’s name bring negative connotations, this Italian work is essential reading for those interested in politics and the maintenance of political entities.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: The burgeoning industries of the U.S. brought about many positive changes but some pretty negative ones as well, and this novel was one of the first to expose the seamy underbelly of turn of the century factory work.

Plays and Poems
While novels are a great source of learning, plays and poems shouldn’t be neglected if you want to be well-rounded in your knowledge of literature. These free selections can be a great place to start.

Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson: Get a good background in the works of a great American poet though this free collection.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: With this complete collection of works, you’ll be able to pick and choose the plays and poems you find most interesting.
The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley: Learn more about the works of this Romantic poet through this large collection of his works.
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw: While many people may have seen the film adaptation of this play in My Fair Lady, the written version is just as full of wit and charm.
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: Explore the depths of hell through this highly important work of Italian literature.
Paradise Lost by John Milton: This epic poem follows the fall of Lucifer and his subsequent seduction into sin of the human race.
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe: One of the most well-known poems ever written, this work by Poe is essential to any reading list.
Hedda Gabler by Heinrich Ibsen: In this play, a bored housewife dabbles in the lives of others with disastrous results.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: With plot twists and turns about mistaken identities, love triangles and romantic affairs this play is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.
The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth: The works of this English Romantic poet helped bring about a new style and approach to literature in 18th century England.
The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot: This influential modernist work deals with death, grieving and coming to terms with loss.

Ancient Writings
Go old school with your reading by taking a look at these important texts. You’ll find ideas and stories that have influenced people in the thousand-plus years since they were written.

The Iliad by Homer: This epic poem about the Trojan War is one of, if not the oldest, work of literature in the Greek language.
The Odyssey by Homer: Homer’s other epic poem, the Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and his long, problematic journey home.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu: The Art of War was written in the 6th century and contains explanations about military strategy and tactics that can still be useful today in any competitive field.
The Works of Aristotle: Aristotle’s writings influence writers in the centuries following his life and are still part of philosophy and liberal arts educations today.
Symposium by Plato: These speeches by Plato explore love and passion.
Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates by Plato: Socrates was executed for his supposed corruption of young minds, and Plato expands upon the ideas of this great thinker through this series of writings.
Aesop’s Fables: From simple morality to classic tales you’ve likely heard before, this collection of fables is full of humor, wit and insight into human nature.
Beowulf: This ancient epic work is full of manly fights, hideous, bloodthirsty monsters, revenge, action and adventure that is at your fingertips after you learn to get past the Old English writing.
The Aeneid by Virgil: This epic poem tells the story of Aeneas, ancestor to the Romans, and his travels from Troy to Italy.
Poetics by Aristotle: Aristotle’s theory of poetry is a classic work that lays out terms you may already be familiar with from catharsis to mimesis.

Technology and Business
Learn more about the basics of business online and off with these free online texts.

How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin: Learn how to improve your communication skills from this book, helping you go further in many aspects of life.
Professional Customer Service: If you own a business the customer is the real boss, so learn how to provide efficient, high-quality customer service from this ebook.
Fail As Fast As You Can and Other Contrarian Business Secrets: Don’t want to run your business into the ground? Check out this online book to learn how to avoid that fate.
Beginners Guide to the Internet: Whether you’re trying to get your business on the web or just want to learn to navigate it a little better, this text can give you the information you need.
Web Marketing Success: Web marketing is an essential for most businesses today and you’ll get the basics from this ebook.
Art and Science of Obtaining Venture or Angel Investor Capital: Need some capital to get your business off the ground? This text can help you find great investors in your business.

Finances
With an economy on the decline, you should be aware of where every cent you have is going. These free texts can help you make sound financial decisions even in tough times.

What Women Need to Know About Retirement: This text is a great read for women who want to make sure they’re well-prepared for their golden years.
ID Theft: What It’s All About: Worried you might have your identity stolen? This short book will help you understand what happens in ID theft and what you can do to prevent and recover from it.
Estate Planning: Make sure your loved ones are well-provided for even if you’re not around with some careful estate planning. Check out this book for tips and advice.
Savings Fitness: A Guide to Your Money and Your Financial Future: You worry about getting your body in shape why not your finances too? In this book you’ll find some ways to pump up your savings and investments.
Get the Facts on Saving and Investing: This book will give you the basics on saving and investing for newbies in the financial field.
Building a Better Credit Report: From getting the free credit report to which you’re entitled to helping improve your credit score, you’ll find loads of helpful advice in this government produced text.
Consumer Action Handbook: If you feel like you’ve gotten ripped off you may be able to take action against the perpetrator. Find out more by reading this ebook from this government consumer action group.
Taking Control of Your Finances: Feel like you’re going in financial down spin? This text can help you get a handle on your spending, increase saving and deal with a variety of other financial issues.
Banking Basics: Learn how to use your bank the right way from this ebook.
Know Before You Go: To Get a Mortgage: If you’re thinking of buying a new home this guide can help you make sure you don’t make any big blunders.

Not Just for Kids
While many of these books are today considered children’s literature, their enjoyment is hardly limited to the youthful.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Take a tumble down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy world of this classic book.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: The stuffed rabbit at the center of this story wants nothing more than to become real through the love of his owner.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie: The iconic character of Peter Pan saw his beginnings in this well-received story.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales: With evil witches, beautiful princes, enchantment, adventure and more, these stories will keep adults and children engaged for hours.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: Anyone who’s ever really loved an animal will appreciate this simple, touching story of the life of a horse.
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame: The collection of animal characters that form the cast of this book wander about on the river, ultimately pursuing storylines that provide valuable moral lessons.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson: From swashbuckling on the high seas to hidden treasures, this novel explores themes often uncommon in children’s literature like the ambiguity of morality making it a work that holds up for adult readers as well.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum: While many are familiar with the film version of this classic, the original book is well worth a read at any age.
Beatrix Potter Collected Works: Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated many well-loved children’s stories that appeal to adults and children alike in their simplicity and charm.
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: From the diminutive Lilliputians to the giants of Brobdingnag this book provides plenty of adventure with a little satire on human nature as well.

Miscellaneous
From great biographies to essential historical writings, these varied books are well-worth your time to check out.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: One of the best loved founding fathers, this story tells about the life of Franklin in his own words.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Here you’ll find an epic success story of the child of slaves who grew to be a great intellectual and public figure.
The Education of Henry Adams: This book records the experiences of Henry Adams as he comes to terms with the changing and modernizing world in his old age.
The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci: Explore the mind of one of the greatest artists and thinkers through his many notebooks.
Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky: This modernist painter explores how painting affects the viewer in this theoretical work.
Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari: Often regarded as the earliest art historian, Vasari writes about the lives of the artists that play an important role in the Renaissance and the years leading up to it.
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: While it may not make for the most exciting reading, this book is essential for those who want to understand the origins of modern biology.
Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson: From advocating the rights of women to speaking about the joys of nature, this collection of essays is great non-fiction reading.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau: Get some inspiration on moving closer to nature in this classic work.
The Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana: Keep your relationships spicy by checking out this ancient text full of advice on the art of lovemaking.

Today is the 90th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

2010-08-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

What is the 19th amendment?

The Nineteenth Amendment stated that no state can deny the right to vote based on gender. Controversy came up about the 14th amendment and whether or not it should apply to women as well. The time in which women fought for their rights was called Women's Suffrage. On January 9, 1918, the president at the time, Woodrow Wilson, announced his support of the amendment. It was proposed on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920.

(information found at Wikihistoria )

I've found numerous places on the net that can tell you all about the 19th amendment and those who fought for it.

Washington Post's article on 19th Amendment Anniversary

Actual copy of the 19th Amendment with information

Women's History/Suffrage at About.com

But my fave piece of educational material is the School House Rock video from their America Rock series. Check out Sufferin' 'til Suffrage at the end of this blog.

A Relationship???

2010-08-13T13:40:00.003-07:00

“A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.”

Woody Allen from "Annie Hall"

August is National Panini Month!

2010-07-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Soooo....some folks might be saying to themselves, "what is a Panini? "

A panini is basically a grilled sandwich made on Italian bread.
A traditional panini is made with two slices of dense bread filled with meat, cheese and vegetables. The outsides of the bread are usually brushed with extra virgin olive oil to give it a crispier texture and then the sandwich is grilled on a two sided panini/sandwich grill. Paninis are usually made with a Panini Press but if you don't have one, you can get around it.
You can place the sandwich in a pan and cook it like you would any "grilled" cheese sandwich, using a spatula to press down on the sandwich , of course you won't get those lovely grilled lines, but the sandwich will still be good.
Both How to Make a Panini without a Panini Press from eHow and, PaniniHappy.com have good suggestions on making paninis without a press.

Types of bread that work well for paninis: foccacia, ciabatta, sourdough also thick cut italian or french

All types of meats are good on a panini but they have to be cooked before you put them in the sandwich.

Feel free to experiment with your cheeses...try mozzarella, asiago, provolone, brie, goat cheese, cheddar, etc.

And don't forget the veggies! Roasted peppers, tomatoes, basil, spinach, red onions, eggplant....whatever comes to mind. Oh, you can also try fruit...some sliced apples, pears or strawberries might be delicious.

Oooooo.....I almost forgot the absolutely fabulous dessert panini. A Chocolate Strawberry Panini made with pound cake for bread and using nutella as the chocolate....yummy! The video on how to make this treat is at the end of the blog.

For some interesting ideas for paninis, check out this Page A Day Recipe Calendar that Sargento cheese put out in 2009 to honor August as Panini Month. It's packed with 31 yummy recipes.

Okay, I am soooooo hungry! I guess I'll go make something to eat.......hmmm I wonder what??

This is a fab video from Food Network. Giada makes a couple of delicious looking Paninis.

And here is Giada's yummy Chocolate Strawberry Panini.

Celebrate National Drive Thru Day!

2010-07-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

July 25th is National Drive Thru Day.
I have absolutely no idea who proclaimed this to be a holiday but who cares?! Let's admit it.....we love drive thrus. You can find drive thru liquor stores, coffee shops and even a drive thru wedding chapel (Las Vegas, of course).

According to Wiki:

A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s but has since spread to other countries.
Drive-throughs have generally replaced drive-ins in popular culture, and are now found in the vast majority of modern American fast-food chains.

I just found this great vid about National Drive Thru Day......

Gummi Worm Day!!

2010-07-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

".....so I guess I'll go eat worms, big fat juicy ones, itty bitty skinny ones, see how they wiggle and squirm!"

Remember that song? Yes, I know it's kind of gross but , hey, what can you expect from a kids song??

Normally, none of us would think of eating worms (I hope!) but July 15th is Gummi Worm Day. The perfect day to make and eat worms!

Homemade Gummi Worms much simpler to make than you would think. You need:

12 tbsp sugar
1 1/3 cup orange juice
8 tbsp corn syrup
8 tbsp unflavored gelatin
Food coloring, optional
Superfine Sugar for coating

Preparation:
1. Prepare an 8x8 inch pan by wetting it lightly with water.

2. Place gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water to soften for about 5 minutes.

3. Place the juice, sugar (regular not the superfine) and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

5. Stir in the gelatin and continue stirring until gelatin dissolves.

6. At this point add food coloring if desired.

7. Pour into prepared pan and leave until completely set, 4-6 hours at room temperature or 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

8. When set, turn out of pan and cut with a sharp knife into long, thin strips to resemble worms.

9. Roll your worms in the superfine sugar.

Now go out there and eat some worms!!!!

Love this video! Waka Waka....this time for Africa

2010-07-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is the official 2010 FIFA video. I'm not really into soccer or Shakira but this is a fabulous video.
Enjoy!

Happy Independence Day!!

2010-07-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Which Chicken Wing Day do you celebrate?

2010-07-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are two holidays celebrating the chicken wing?

Yep, there's International Chicken Wing Day which is July 2nd and National Chicken Wing Day which is July 25th. I figure since both days are celebrated in July, it doesn't matter which day you celebrate.

Anyhoo, what really matters it that these holidays are the perfect excuse for cooking and eating a whole mess of chicken wings!! (as if we really need an excuse)

To help some of y'all come with a few new recipes I've found 6 really fun ones. Enjoy!!!

Caramelized Baked Chicken Wings
* 3 pounds chicken wings
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 1 cup honey
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.
3. Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized.

Cranberry Barbecued Chicken Wings
Ingredients -
18 Chicken Wings
1 can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Prepared Mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Preparation:
1. Place chicken wings in casserole dish or medium mixing bowl
2. In medium saucepan, combine cranberry sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
3. Stirring constantly, heat over low, until smooth. Allow sauce to cool.
4. Pour over chicken wings.
5. Cover and refrigerate several hours.
6. Remove chicken from marinade and grill directly over medium heat, until chicken is cooked through.

Taco Chicken Wings
Ingredients -
1/2 cup Flour
1 package Taco Seasoning Mix
3 pounds Chicken Wings
6 tablespoons Butter
1 cup crushed Corn Chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In medium mixing bowl, combine flour and taco seasoning.
3. Toss wings in seasoning mixture to coat.
4. In shallow bowl, place crushed corn chips. Toss wings in corn chips to coat.
5. Melt butter in large non-stick baking dish or casserole dish.
6. Spread wings evenly in dish.
7. Bake 45 minutes.

May 23 is National Taffy Day

2010-05-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember taffy pulls? No? Actually I don't remember having any either. But I do remember reading about them and thinking how fun they sounded. My most vivid memory is the Taffy Pulling story from a Raggedy Ann and Andy story book. Boy did that sound like fun!

Well, here's your chance to make a few fun taffy pulling memories of your own.. May 23 is National Taffy day.
What is taffy? According to Wikipedia:
"Taffy is a type of chewy candy. Taffy is made by stretching or pulling a sticky mass of boiled sugar, butter or vegetable oil, flavorings, and coloring until fluffy. When this process is complete, the taffy is rolled, cut into small pastel-colored pieces and wrapped in wax paper to keep it soft."

An interesting video about taffy making and pulling.

Try this old-fashioned taffy recipe from the 1920's

Two cups granulated sugar
one-half cup water
two tablespoonfuls vinegar
one tablespoonful butter
one teaspoonful vanilla
one-half teaspoonful cream of tartar
Cup of cold water for testing the candy
Well buttered cookie sheet or platter
Wax paper
Scissors

Directions:

In a medium sized saucepan with a heavy bottom, cook the first 5 ingredients.
Stir with a wooden spoon over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
Increase the heat, and cook without stirring until the mixture begins to boil.
Watch carefully so that it does not burn.
Test readiness by dropping a few drops of the mixture in cold water.
If the drops crack then the mixture is ready.
Take the taffy off the heat add the cream of tartar and pour onto the buttered cookie sheet.
Let the mixture cool before you start pulling.
When the taffy is cool enough, grease the your hands with butter.
Give each child a lump of taffy to pull or they can pull a piece between them.
Pull and stretch the taffy until it is light and slightly firm.
Using scissors, cut stretched candy into bite-size pieces.
When completely cool, wrap each piece in waxed paper.

Hmm....a recipe for Salt Water Taffy

Wow!! Today is Pacman's 30th Birthday!

2010-05-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Okay is there anyone who didn't loooooove playing Pacman when it came out?
Of course not!! I mean it was sooo cool and so much fun! I'm not into computer games but I really liked pacman. I don't know about you guys but I used to get so angry with those darn ghosts!
Oooo, I wonder what the birthday is of my other fave game.....Pong. Now that was a fun game.

Be sure to check out Googles homepage today. They have a really cool playable pacman game in the shape of the words Google. You can also find the google pacman game at this link.

May 14 is National Chicken Dance Day!!!

2010-05-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

"There ain't nobody here but us chickens....."

I'll bet you didn't know this.....May 14th is National Chicken Dance Day!
That's right! It's the day officially, well maybe unofficially, put aside to do that ever popular at weddings dance... The Chicken Dance.

You say you've never done or seen the chicken dance??? Wow! Well, it's obvious that your dance education is sorely lacking. Never fear, I am here (ooo that rhymes) to help you! Well, okay, not just me. I have found a fabulous video made ages ago by , surprise, surprise....Lawrence Welks!
Yep, Lawrence and the gang show you how to do this marvelous dance so that you'll be ready for that next wedding or any other classy occasion!
Happy Dancing....cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck!

Happy Mothers Day and Happy Lost Sock Memorial Day, too

2010-05-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a Happy Mother's Day!!
And, no, I did not make up the Lost Sock Memorial Day....it was probably made up by a group of Mother;s who were annoyed by all of the socks that get lost in the washer and the dryer. I'm not sure which machine actually eats them.
Anyway, y'all have a good day!!

National Nutty Fudge Day

2010-05-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

Whoopee!!
Wednesday, May 12 is National Nutty Fudge Day.
Truthfully, I'm kinda so-so about fudge but still any day with a sugary dessert as the star is a good day.
I really don't know the mechanics of fudge nor the history of it. Thank goodness for Wiki!
If you want that kind of info here's the link: Fudge .

Okay, now that the educational stuff is out of the way, here are 3 delicious and varied fudge recipes......

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge (recipe is from Nigella Express/Food Network)

12 ounces 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped or 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
Pinch salt
1 cup shelled pistachios

Directions

Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk and salt in a heavy based pan on a low heat.
Put the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin, until broken up into both big and little pieces.
Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix.
Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square foil tray, smoothing the top.
Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set.
Cut the fudge into squares.

Mocha Nut Fudge

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk and corn syrup.
Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil; boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and coffee granules with a wooden spoon.
Continue stirring until mixture is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.
Stir in walnuts.
Shape into two 9-in. logs; wrap each in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Unwrap and cut into slices.

Maple Nut Fudge

4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup genuine maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Butter a 9-inch square baking dish.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, butter, maple syrup, milk, and miniature marshmallows; cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy or digital thermometer reaches 235 degrees F. or until it forms a soft ball when a little of the mixture is dropped in cold water.
Remove from heat.
Let cool to 115 degrees F; add nuts and vanilla extract.
With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat until mixture loses its gloss and starts to harden around edge of saucepan.
Pour into prepared baking dish.
Cool completely.
Cut into squares.

May 1st is Beltane, May Day, Lei Day and Mother Goose Day

2010-04-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

According to Wiki:

Beltane or Beltaine (pronounced /ˈbɛltən/, origin Old Irish) is the anglicised spelling of Bealtaine (Irish pronunciation: [ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə]) or Bealltainn ([ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲ]), the Gaelic names for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.

In Irish Gaelic, the month of May is known as Mí Bhealtaine or Bealtaine, and the festival as Lá Bealtaine ('day of Bealtaine' or, 'May Day'). In Scottish Gaelic, the month is known as either (An) Cèitean or a' Mhàigh, and the festival is known as Latha Bealltainn or simply Bealltainn. The feast was also known as Céad Shamhain or Cétshamhainin from which the word Céitean derives.

As an ancient Gaelic festival, Bealtaine was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, though there were similar festivals held at the same time in the other Celtic countries of Wales, Cornovii areas of England, Brittany and Cornwall. Bealtaine and Samhain were the leading terminal dates of the civil year in Ireland though the latter festival was the more important. The festival survives in folkloric practices in the Celtic Nations and the Irish diaspora, and has experienced a degree of revival in recent decades.

For information on Mother Goose Day click here

Hawaiian Lei Day Info

Wiki May Day Info

Have a Happy Beltane, May Day, Lei Day and Mother Goose Day!!!!!

What Every Storyteller Dreads Hearing.....

2010-04-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, we want to hear the words just not the way the cat meant it :-P

A Little Feel Good Music

2010-04-21T16:23:00.003-07:00

Patti Labelle and Joe Crocker singing "You Are So Beautiful" with Billy Preston on piano. I just thought I'd put up something fun. This vid always makes me happy!!

Earth Day Smoothies

2010-04-19T16:30:00.005-07:00

Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day!
I noticed a few days ago that Planet Smoothies are celebrating Earth Day, by giving the first 30 customers at each location a free, reusable MacDaddy Mug with the purchase of any 32-ounce smoothie. Planet Smoothie has smoothies for kids as well as smoothies for weight loss , energy and breakfast.

While I do enjoy going out to get smoothies, they are after all delicious, fun and healthy. You can also make your own smoothie and your own smoothie recipes (also known as throwing in anything available).

A Berry Green Earth Day Smoothie
ingredients:
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 peeled kiwi
1/2 to 1 cup of ice
some water if you think it necessary

directions:
Place all ingredients, ice and frozen fruits first, into the blender.
Blend until smooth.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
ingredients:
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups orange juice
1 banana, frozen (it can be fresh if you like)
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar

directions:
Add ingredients together in blender and blend until smooth.

Blueberry Fruit Smoothie
ingredients:
Carton of Blueberry yogurt
1 Cup of milk
1 Cup frozen or fresh blueberries, strawberries or peaches
½ cup ice cubes

directions:
Add all together in blender and blend until smooth.

Other simple smoothie recipes, which only require throwing all of the ingredients in the blender:

Strawberry Ice
1 cup strawberries, 1 cup orange juice, I cup crushed ice

Honey Melon
1 cup chopped honey dew lemon pieces, 1/4 cup apple juice, tablespoon honey.

Bananas and Fiber
1 banana, 1/4 shredded wheat cereal (or other high fiber cereal), 1/4 cup milk.

Happy Blending!!!

Barbershop Quartet Day

2010-04-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

Apr 11th is Barbershop Quartet Day! Yea!!!
Yep I actually like Barbershop Quartets and the choruses.
I used to sing in a Sweet Adeline Chorus (in Vienna, Va) a few years back. That was FUN!!

Just for a little history of the holiday....it commemorates the gathering of 26 persons at Tulsa, OK, Apr 11, 1938, and the founding there of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America.

I know y'all wanted to know that:-P

Sweet Adeline Chorus

Who says you need for people for a quartet?

I love this movie! Buffalo Bills from the Music Man

Buddha Day.....a few words of wisdom and a story

2010-04-08T12:36:00.004-07:00

Today, April 8th, is Buddha Day.
Unfortunately, I don't know why it's Buddha Day. I tried looking it up online but I haven't had any luck. (If anyone finds out the origin of Buddha Day, I'd love to know.)

Anyhoo, I thought that I'd put up a few Buddha sayings that I enjoy.

Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice, more drunkards than thirst, and perhaps as many suicides as despair.

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

Words have the power to both destroy and heal.
When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger."

The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood.

"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky”

"He is able who thinks he is able."

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”
(hmmm...I should mention that I'm not that great at meditation but I ain't ignorant, much)

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

And, of course, we need just had to have a story.......This is from a blog I put up on my The Stories La Tells blog

Advice from a Three Year Old or WWBD?
(What Would Buddha Do?)

Late last night as I was looking through a book of stories, this story caught my attention.
I thought it would make a good addition this blog.
Apparently my subconscious loved the story because even in my sleep and in my first waking moments the story was still with me.
So I have decided to "exorcise" it quickly.

There was once a famous artist who decided that he wanted to study the works of Buddha and attain enlightenment. He thought that the best way to do this was to seek the most famous and wisest teacher and ask him, "What was the most important thing that Buddha taught?"

The artist traveled to the other side of the world to find the teacher he sought. When at last he found the teacher, he asked him, "What was the most important thing that Buddha taught?"

"Do not harm anyone and only do good," was the teacher's immediate response.

"What?" shouted the indignant artist. "You are the most famous of teachers! You are supposed to be wise beyond your years! And this is all you can tell me? A three year old could have told me the same thing!"

The teacher, who had sat quietly through the entire speech, looked at the artist and said, "A three year old could have said the same thing but it is a very difficult thing to practice, even for one as old as myself."
(A Zen tale retold by LLL, Storyteller)

Yes, this teeny little story has been stuck in my head all night and half the day. Why? Aside from the fact that I like stories, I think that it's because it's so simple a truth…….but not so simple to practice.
Makes you think.

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings!

Blah Blah Blah Day

2010-04-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I would not lie to you.
April 17 is Blah Blah Blah Day.

Now, I bet that, like myself, y'all thought it might be a day to not listen to folks just running their mouths endlessly or maybe it was a day to talk a lot.
But NOOOOOOOO!

The purpose of this day is to take care of the long list of household projects and boring chores that people have been nagging you to do.

Okay. Anyone else disappointed?
Who the heck thought of this day???

I think I need to start the anti-Blah Blah Blah Day.
Liiiiiike...maybe....Talk to the Hand Day??? No??
I'll work on it.

Tangible Karma Day

2010-03-30T14:47:00.005-07:00

April 3rd is Tangible Karma™ Day.
What is karma?

Karma is a concept in Hinduism which explains causality through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful effects from past harmful actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout a person's reincarnated lives (wikipedia).... in other simpler words....the effects of a person's actions in this life determine his destiny in his next incarnation

What is Tangible Karma Day?
It's a day that celebrates giving.
The giving of your time, your love, your talents....whatever you can give or wish to give. Why? Because giving feels as good as receiving.

Nationwide, groups and individuals set aside 1 hour of this day to purposefully become aware of the needs of those they are in contact with and actively do something to help fulfill those needs.

For more info on tangible karma check out www.tangiblekarma.com .

What can you do:
*Donate items to a good cause
*Volunteer at a shelter
*Help a friend

If you're just hearing about Tangible Karma Day, don't think that you're too late.
It's never to late to work on your karma or to just start giving and helping.

April is Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month.....sooooo

2010-03-29T02:41:00.000-07:00

If life deals you lemons, make lemonade. If it deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys.

So, anyway, two great things came together to make this blog happen.
1. It's Fresh Florida Tomato Month and
2. I found the above quote and loved it!

Now really....this was obviously meant to be. Of course, I should also mention that I love Bloody Marys.
I mean, check it out, they are like the perfect food.
You have your tomato juice, although I like spicy v8, then you have potato juice...you know the vodka, then there' all those lovely veggies you can put in it. I like to use garlic stuffed olives, pickled okras, celery sticks and pickled string beans.
Course I don't always use all of that but I like to use a combination.

Anyhoo, check out the recipe below. Most likely I will come up with other recipes for the month so stay tuned!

click on the pic so you can read the recipe

12 Angry Men

2010-03-20T14:54:00.003-07:00

Just watched, for the first time, the movie Twelve Angry Men, the black and white version produced in 1957.
Wow, that was really good. I love the old movies. Especially the black and white ones.
This movie was full of stars....Henry Fonda (who produced it), Jack Klugman (my man Quincy), Lee J. Cobb, E. G. Marshall, Martin Balsam, Jack Warden, John Fiedler, Edward Binns, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec and Robert Webber.

For those of you who may not have seen the movie, it's basically about:

A jury made up of 12 men as they deliberate the guilt or innocence of a defendant on the basis of reasonable doubt. The story begins after the closing arguments have been presented to the judge. The question they are deciding is whether the defendant, a teenage boy from a city slum, murdered his father. The jury is further instructed that a guilty verdict will be accompanied by a mandatory death sentence.
The plot of the film revolves around their difficulty in reaching a unanimous verdict, mainly due to several of the jurors' personal prejudices.

(this info came from Wikipedia)

Anyhoo, I highly recommend this movie which, BTW, you can find on Youtube, of course.

Here's the movie trailer:

Here comes the sun!

2010-03-19T18:03:00.002-07:00

Here comes the sun,
Here comes the sun,
and I say,
It's alright....
dah, dah dah dah, dah dah dah, dah dah dah, dah dah dah dah, daaaaaaah

Huh...it's hard to do those instrumental parts in writing....but I try.

Yes! Finally! At Last! The sun was really out there working today. It's been out now and again but not really warming me up til today. (Yes, yes, it's all about me.)

Today was breezy...okay maybe more like windy but the sun was out there in force.

'Course, you know, being human, I'll be kvetching about the heat when the temps get above....hmmmm..90degrees or so.
But for now...the sun is my friend!!!!

So let's sing (y'all knew it was comin') one of my favorite sun songs..Everybody SING!!!
The sun is a mass of incandescent gas.....

How sad.....

2010-03-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

A Rose by any other name........

2010-03-13T09:58:00.009-07:00

Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.
Dale Carnegie

BORED:
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: uninterested
Synonyms: blasé, disinterested, dull, fatigued, inattentive, sick and tired, spiritless, tired, turned off
Antonyms: enthusiastic, excited, exhilarated, interested

I try not to say that I'm bored. 'Cause usually boredom is not boredom. If you're bored with one activity, you can usually move on to another activity and dispel the boredom. But lasting boredom is generally something else.

Maybe I'm restless...in need of a new something...new job, new place to live, new craft activity (I really do NEED more yarn) or just new books to read.

Oh well, at least thinking about being bored keeps me from being too bored.
Go figure!

Me, too!

2010-03-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Is it cookie time??????

2010-03-10T12:22:00.001-07:00

Serious question!

World Read Aloud Day

2010-03-03T09:08:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's another day dedicated to reading, books and kids....well, you can read to adults too.

World Read Aloud Day

March 3, 2010 has been established as LitWorld's first World Read Aloud Day to celebrate and encourage the invaluable practice of reading aloud and to bring attention to the importance of literacy across all countries and for all of humanity.

info found at www.litworld.org

Here's a short tale about Nasreddin Hodja. Read it to someone today.

A beggar was given a piece of bread, but nothing to put on it. Hoping to get something to go with his bread, he went to a nearby inn and asked for a handout. The innkeeper turned him away with nothing, but the beggar sneaked into the kitchen where he saw a large pot of soup cooking over the fire. He held his piece of bread over the steaming pot, hoping to thus capture a bit of flavor from the good-smelling vapor.

Suddenly the innkeeper seized him by the arm and accused him of stealing soup.

"I took no soup," said the beggar. "I was only smelling the vapor."

"Then you must pay for the smell," answered the innkeeper.

The poor beggar had no money, so the angry innkeeper dragged him before the qadi(judge).

Now Nasreddin Hodja was at that time serving as qadi, and he heard the innkeeper's complaint and the beggar's explanation.

"So you demand payment for the smell of your soup?" summarized the Hodja after the hearing.

"Yes!" insisted the innkeeper.

"Then I myself will pay you," said the Hodja, "and I will pay for the smell of your soup with the sound of money."

Thus saying, the Hodja drew two coins from his pocket, rang them together loudly, put them back into his pocket, and sent the beggar and the innkeeper each on his own way.

Ooooo...what a lovely date!

2010-02-20T07:22:00.005-07:00

Okay, so I really didn't have anything to say I just noted that the date of today is pretty cool....well interesting.

02/20/2010
I don't think it means anything, just thought it looked interesting.
Actually, before I put my glasses on, I thought it said 20/20/2010 which would have been even better but of course impossible. But today's date isn't bad.

Just another random thought...aren't you glad I shared it??

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings!

Pancake Day 2010

2010-02-16T10:10:00.001-07:00

OMGoodness!!! This is the ULTIMATE! Bacon Pancakes...I can't believe I haven't thought of this before....DUH!!!
(oh yeah...February 16th is Pancake Day also known as Shrove Tuesday _ for more info on the day check this previous blog...back to the food)

The little note in the advertisement says:
Rath Bacon Strip Pancakes are the tender little pancakes youmake by pouring Aunt Jemima Pancake batter over cooked-crisp slices of our flavory True bacon. Then bake as usual. Complete recipe is on every Rath Black Hawk Bacon package.
advertisment found here

pages found at RecipeCurio.com

If the yummy bacony goodness isn't enough for you, you can try these Super Simple Pancake Muffins. They're sure to be a hit with kids of all ages.

PANCAKE MUFFINS
Sometimes the best recipes are based on the simplest ideas.
Like this one: Make pancake batter & bake it in muffin tins! It’s that easy. Enjoy!

Spring the recipe!
Ingredients
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter
12 tbsp filling: try Nutella, fruit jam, or cream cheese
confectioners sugar for sprinkling
maple syrup for serving

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously coat the bottom & sides of a 12-muffin tin with butter. Make Bisquick pancakes per instructions on the box. Fill each cup in the muffin tin half-way. Add 1 tbsp of filling to the middle of each muffin, then cover with the remaining pancake mix. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven, place on serving dish & use a flour sifter to sprinkle with sugar. Serve with warm syrup.

recipe found at thesimpleme.com

the Goddess Caffeina (Also known as Our Lady of the Latte

2010-02-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Caffeina, Goddess of Energy and Clear Thinking

The patroness of coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks or foods, Caffeina is the Roman goddess of energy, stamina, and determination. Usually portrayed as a beautiful woman rising from a coffee cup, the goddess Caffeina gives clear thought, energy and creativity.

(I knew there was a reason I prefer Starbucks.)

poster and original caffeine article found here

World Nutella Day...Yummy!!

2010-02-04T08:31:00.005-07:00

Combine chocolate and hazelnuts and a few other things (the main thing is the chocolate and hazelnuts) and you get that wonderful creamy, chocolatey hazelnut spread, that's called Nutella.

But did you know that you can make that marvelous concoction in your own home?
Yes, it's true.
And what better day to give it a try than February 5th which is World Nutella Day! This, 2010, will be the the 5th World Nutella Day and a yummy fun day it is.

There are tons of recipes for making Nutella.
Some recipes use powdered sugar (Cook&Eat) , others use flavored oils (Italy in SF) , a few use cocoa powder (recipe in the LA times) , this recipe seems to use a combination of everything (Vegan Visitor) , this recipe is very simple (Kids Cooking), and this recipe even used maple syrup (Stylesmith) !

No matter which recipe you choose (and there are many, many more) you're sure to find that the key ingredients are Hazelnuts (duh!) and some form of Chocolate. (Well, I did see a recipe that used almonds instead of hazelnuts but that was just wrong!) Experiment and see which recipe and combination of ingredients works for you.
Talk about a really yummy science experiment!

Once you've made your homemade Nutella, you'll need a recipe to test it out, of course.

Here's a fabulous recipe for Chocolate Nutella Pizza:

Ingredients:

* 1 package of refrigerated slice and bake Sugar Cookie Dough
* your Nutella
* Sliced Banana and Strawberries (or any fruit of your choice)

Directions:

1. Spread the cookie dough on to a pizza pan or a cookie sheet
2. Bake the cookie according to the directions on the package
3. When your pizza base/cookie is done let cool slightly
4. Spread Nutella on the "pizza" , be generous. Think of it as the pizza sauce.
5. Decorate the top of your pizza with slices of strawberries and bananas or whatever fruits work for you.
6. Enjoy!!

For more Nutella fun check out these sites:

Top 10 Signs You're Addicted to Nutella

50 Ways to Eat Nutella

More yummy ways to cook with Nutella

World Nutella Day

How to Peel a Potato

2010-02-02T10:36:00.002-07:00

So, two people have sent to this video to me and I finally watched it.
I have to admit the method seems really simple and I am tempted to rush out and cook some potatoes just to try it.

The big surprise, other that the simple peeling method, was the hostess of the video.....Dawn Wells aka "Maryann" from Gilligan's Island! Isn't that a hoot!

Anyhoo, she does a great job, very upbeat, and it's a good tip.
Hope it helps you....Enjoy!

Ahhh, sweet Caffeine!

2010-01-17T19:18:00.005-07:00

Really, is there anything more to say?

I saw this poster and thought...."This is soooo me!!"
Hmmm....that may not be a good thing.
Guess I'll think about it over a cup of coffee :-P

Emotions?...a few thoughts (not mine)

2010-01-17T13:33:00.004-07:00

I was meandering on the internet (surprise, surprise) when I stumbled across this little bit of information. And I thought, "Well, now I'll have a name for those feelings, if ever I have them."
Check this out:

I say boredom, you say ennui

Some emotional states only have names in particular languages. Here are some examples:

Fiero (Italian): contented pride in achieving something just for oneself.

Amae (Japanese): the sweet feeling of being dependent on someone else.

Naches (Yiddish): the glow of proud pleasure that only a child can give to its parents.

Schadenfreude (German): the feeling you experience when you learn that your worst enemy has suffered some misfortune.

Ennui (French): the sophisticated, world-weary boredom most intensely felt by philosophers and intellectuals.

This is an excerpt from an article by
Jessica Griggs is a freelance writer based in London

Teddy Pendergrass

2010-01-14T16:08:00.006-07:00

Wow, I just heard about Teddy Pendergrass.
This is one of my favorite songs by him.

Can't We Try

Teddy, This One's For You!

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings!

It's still Hot Tea Month

2010-01-13T20:33:00.003-07:00

I found this pic/recipe while meandering on the net. I haven't tried it yet but it sounds yummy.
Enjoy some tea this month!

recipe found here

Great Graffiti!!

2010-01-13T11:12:00.003-07:00

I found these pics while stumbling around the internet.
They were taken in Brazil and I think they're just fabulous!
Someone, probably many someones, has lots of time and creativity.
Hey, if you have to have drains they might as well be colorful!

more pics to be found at DailyCognition.com

Have you written your letter yet?

2010-01-10T10:44:00.005-07:00

January 8-12 is Universal Letter Writing Week. This is a great time to practice the almost lost are of letter writing. In this computer age, we tend to write short email messages,text messages or IMs. If we're not careful we may lose the art of writing a letter.

Everyone enjoys receiving mail. Sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up personally at someone’s door and says "I'm thinking of you." (that picture is kinda scary isn't ? but I just love it!) Don't your eyes just light up when you receive an actual personal letter in the mail? Mine do. Of course, I can't remember the last time I received a letter. Emails and text messages..yes...a letter...no. The best way to get a letter is to send a letter. So, I suppose I need to start writing. Not wanting to do this alone, I invite all of you (yeah, the few who read this) to join me in sending a few letters out into the world. Hey, maybe we can start a whole letter writing resurgence! (the post office would love us!)

IF you really want to make letter writing and receiving fun, you can make your own stationery. Using paper bags to make stationery is simple and can usually be done with objects you already have on hand. If you want to get really fancy you can actually Make Your Own Paper by recycling scraps of paper that you have at home.
You'll find information on a simple ways of making paper at home at this link

To get started right away on your letters (I know you can't wait) try making Paper Bag Stationery

Materials needed:

* Paper bags (you can use brown grocery bags or bags from department stores)
* Scissors, if you have any with decorative edges they make very pretty stationery
* Paper punches, many paper punches come in shapes (hearts, stars etc)
* Colored Pens or Pencils
* Optional - Rubber stamps and ink; stickers

How to:

1. Cut pieces of the brown bag into rectangles, squares, hearts or whatever stationery shapes you wish. The size of the "stationery" depends on the size of the envelopes you'll be using.
2. The paper will look more decorative if you cut it using scissors with shaped edges. Or you can use regular scissors to round the edges of the paper.
3. Use the paper punch to decorate the edges of your stationery.
4. Draw designs on you paper using colored pens and pencils or decorate with stickers and rubber stamps.
5. Be sure to leave space in the center of the stationery to write your letter.
6. If you wish you can cut designs and patterns from old cards, wrapping paper or fabric with plain or decorative edge scissors and then use the designs to decorate your paper bag stationery.

Now that you gone through the trouble of making your own writing paper, why not make a few special envelopes too? You can make envelopes using leftover wrapping paper or attractive magazine pages.

How to make Envelopes from Recycled Paper

Materials needed:
* Pages from old wallpaper sample books, leftover wrapping paper, magazine pages, slightly heavier paper holds up better
* An envelope
* Cereal box cardboard
* Pencil
* Scissors
* Glue

How to:

1. Search your home or your friends homes for old magazines or wrapping paper. You can also go to stores and see if they have any old wallpaper sample books. Usually they give them away.
2. Take a small mailing envelope and carefully pull the glued edges apart. Use this as your pattern.
3. Trace the envelope on a piece of cardboard (cereal boxes work well) so that you have a durable pattern.
4. Place your cardboard pattern on the paper you have chosen for your envelope and trace.
5. Cut out the pattern.
6. Fold carefully and glue.
That's it! You now have a unique envelope ready for mailing!!

For parents and teachers, Universal Letter Writing Week is the perfect excuse to get kids to practice "traditional" letter writing which also includes a little work on penmanship, grammar, spelling and sentence structure (but you don't have to tell the kids about that). Need something to jumpstart their interests (or yours) in letter writing? Check out this list of Picture Books that Inspire Letter Writing that I put together on Amazon (don't ya just love Amazon?).
One of my fave "how to" books on this list is Messages in a Mailbox: How to Write a Letter by Loreen Leedy . It's a fun book but full of all kinds of information on letter writing, some of which we may have forgotten.

Happy Writing!!!

Bubble Bath Day!

2010-01-07T19:10:00.003-07:00

Yep, January 8th is Bubble Bath Day! And just in time!
I'm sure we could all use a nice relaxing bubble bath.
So, pour in the bubble bath and get your self a glass of wine, or a cup of tea....whatever relaxes you.

Don't have any bubble bath??? Make your own!
Here's a very quick 3 Ingredient Bubble Bath Recipe:

you'll need:
/2 a cup of light colored shampoo,
3/4 a cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of table salt

Directions:

1. Mix the shampoo and the water in a bowl
2. Add the salt and stir until the mixture thickens slightly, approximately 1 minute.
3. Pour the mixture into a clean jar. Your bubble bath is now ready for use.
4. If you wish to add color to your bubble bath: place a drop of food coloring on a plate; dip a toothpick into the food coloring and then add to the bubble bath mixture a little at a time until you reach your desired color.

Happy Bubble Bath Day!!!

Make Your Own Chai Tea Mix

2010-01-07T03:27:00.002-07:00

January is Hot Tea Month!!

Chai Tea Mix
Ingredients

* 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
* 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
* 1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
* 2 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1) In a large bowl, combine milk powder, non-dairy creamer, vanilla flavored creamer, sugar and instant tea.
2) Stir in ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
3) In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.
4) To serve: Stir 2 heaping tablespoons Chai tea mixture into a mug of hot water.

January 6th is Bean Day!

2010-01-05T19:36:00.005-07:00

Really! I am not making this up. Today is Bean Day!
So, in honor of this "Oh so important day" we should all do Beanie things!
Umm...let's see..Oh, okay let's all sing Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow...everybody sing!
Ooops! If you don't know the words you'll find them at the end of this blog.
Moving on....

And, course there is that all time favorite bean folk tale Jack and the Beanstalk!

Aaaand....sorta last but certainly not least, we have a marvelous recipe for ...what else? Beans.

CROCKPOT BEANS AND RICE
--1 can of black beans --1 can of pinto beans
--1 cup of rice
--1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
--1 T olive oil
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1 t Italian seasoning
--1/2 T dried onion flakes

The Directions.

--put the 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot, and add the rice. Swirl the rice around in the olive oil, until it is coated nicely.

--drain and rinse the beans, and add them

--drain the tomatoes, but reserve the liquid in a measuring cup. I got a little under a cup of tomato juice. Add the tomatoes.

--add water to the measuring cup with tomato juice. You need 2 cups of liquid.

--add seasonings stir well, and cover.

Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
It's done when the rice is tender.
Brown rice or wild rice will take longer to cook than white rice.

recipe found at A Year of Slow Cooking Blog

Happy Bean Day to all!!!

Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow is a traditional British and American folk/play song.

Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

First the farmer sows his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.

Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

Next the farmer waters the seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.

Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

Next the farmer hoes the weeds,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.

Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

Last the farmer harvests his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.

Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats, peas, beans, and barley grow?

This video shows kids performing some of the movements in the song.

For My Friends

2010-01-05T05:00:00.001-07:00

You will always be the light of my life....no matter what!

Have a Bubbly 2010!!

2010-01-01T04:15:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous 2010!!

I just threw this next pic in 'cause it's a really cool vintage New Year's calendar circa 1910. It was posted by the Graphics Fairy.

Blue Moon

2009-12-31T09:00:00.006-07:00

This evening, New Year's eve, December 31, 2009, we'll have a blue moon.
Contrary to what some believe, there is no real noticeable difference between a Blue moon and a regular moon. The term Blue Moon refers to when there is a second full moon in the same calendar month. In the past, every full moon throughout the year was given a folk name.

"According to some folktales during a full blue moon, the moon was said to have a face and talked to those in its light. Some pagan beliefs hold the second full moon in a calendar month holds the knowledge of the Goddess and contains very powerful three-fold the energy of a regular full moon. Special rites and rituals were held only on a blue moon night.
Sill other traditions believe the different moon phases represent the transition of knowledge within the Goddess. The maiden is represented by the waning moon, the full moon represents the mother goddess and the waxing moon the grandmother goddess or crone. When the blue moon enters the cycle it is said to be the transition of the crone to the divine level of existence or the great transition."

info found at Blue Moon Origins and Traditions

So, while you're celebrating the New Year, take a moment to check out the Blue Moon.
The next Blue Moon won't be around until August of 2012.

Happy New Year!!!

Ooooo! Here's a little music to watch a Blue Moon by....

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-29T18:28:00.005-07:00

(New Year's Postcards sold in 1915)

It's that time of year again.
The new year is here and everyone decides that this is the year that they will......well, fill in the blank with just about anything you can think of.
I have stopped making these promises to myself. Well, mostly.

My new thing is to just say that I will do my best to do my best.
Yeah, it sounds kinda wishy-washy but it isn't...really.

I mean, hey, if everyone did their best....I would like to think that things_life_ the world_ would be a little better.

Of course, that's in my world (y'all can join me there if you wish....we're a friendly group!).

For those of you who wish to make a resolution for the new year, here of some of the ones that I would make....if I were making resolutions which of course I am not....Anyhoo here are some good ones:

exercise more
eat better
save money
improve grades (for all you students of all ages)
learn something new (such as a foreign language or music)
become more organized (hmmm...I just threw that in for kicks)
reduce stress (no stress in my world...join us)
be less grumpy (everybody oughta try this one)
maintain a diary (always nice to look back on later)
Volunteer to help others....okay this one is serious. Heck, I might even break my no resolution rule for it....I'll think about it.

Y'all have a Happy New Year!!!

Peace on Earth

2009-12-27T02:55:00.001-07:00

This is a wonderful cartoon!
Although is from 1939 it's still relevant today.
The following information was written on youtube by XmasFLIX.blogspot.com :

Peace On Earth (1939) Christmas Classic MGM War Cartoon. Academy Award Nominee for Best Short Subject (Cartoon), 1940. Originally Released on December 09, 1939.

On Christmas Eve, two squirrel children ask their grandfather what men are. He describes them, then narrates the story of how humanity destroyed itself by war, as chilling scenes of armed conflict play on the screen. After the last human dies, the animals take their war implements and build homes from them, to live forever in peace.

Peace on Earth is a one-reel 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon short directed by Hugh Harman, about a post-apocalyptic world populated only by animals. The only cartoon ever nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize! It was broadcast in the US just after Germany had pre-emptively invaded Poland, a protest against Bush-Iraq-style pre-emptive wars, and before the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor and thus entered WWII.

At first glance this looks like just another typically Disney-esque cartoons featuring cute animals, but once you see those battle scenes you can see that it is so much more than that. This is an anti-war tale with well animated battle scenes that are scary as anything else that has been seen on the silver screen. Those scenes are very unsettling and tapped into the fears that many people held as Europe was at war with itself. This film was nominated for the 1939 Academy Award for an animated short feature (it lost to Disneys "The Ugly Duckling") and was also, according to Hugh Harmon, nominated for the 1940 Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately the 1940 Nobel Prizes were cancelled because of World War II, so it did not win or lose that award.

Fifteen years before this release, Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising were employees of Walt Disney -- in Kansas City. Disneys first animation studio was in that midwestern city and it was, ultimately, a failure. Following the companys demise -- and with dreams of becoming a live-action director -- Walt headed west. After shuffling around Los Angeles for a while, Disney realized that his best prospect for making a living was the cartoon business.

World War II was barely four months old when Peace landed on theater screens. Given the fact that a mood of patriotism and sacrifice was soon to grip the United States, the cartoons unapologetically anti-war stance is surprising. In the short, woodland creatures elebrate the Christmas season. Two squirrel children stumble over the lyric peace on earth/good will to men because they have no idea what men are. Grampa squirrel explains that all of the men are gone; they succumbed to the fever of war and annihilated one another. Woodland creatures rebuild civilization and mourn their loss.

Walt Disneys most notable cartoon series in those early days featured Oswald the Lucky Rabbit -- a character he did not own. The shorts were produced by a man named Charles Mintz and distributed by Universal Pictures. In 1928, after strong-arming Disney over an extended period with increasingly unfavorable business terms, Mintz took Oswald away from Walt -- along with most of Walts animators. Mintz housed these artists in a new studio designed expressly to produce the Oswald cartoons without Disneys involvement. Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising were two of the many defectors.

In a rare instance of karmic justice, Universal elected to create its own in-house cartoon studio and leave Charles Mintz high and dry. This turn of events left Harman and Ising unemployed, but they soon formed a partnership with producer Leon Schlesinger and founded Warner Brothers Animation. Harman launched a series called Looney Tunes and Ising a series called Merrie Melodies. Although these labels would one day feature such cartoon stars as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, Harman and Ising were not around to see it -- they departed Warner Brothers in 1933 in a dispute over production budgets.

In 1934, Harman and Ising helped found MGMs cartoon studio and proceeded to repeat history. They were fired as studio heads and were no longer in charge when MGM Animation achieved the things which made it famous (most notably the Tom and Jerry series of cartoons and surreal shorts of Tex Avery). MGM later rehired the men as directors, and it was under this arrangement that Peace on Earth was produced.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera remade the cartoon in CinemaScope in 1955. This post-World War II version of the film, entitled Good Will to Men, featured updated and even more destructive forms of warfare technology such as flamethrowers, bazookas, and nuclear weapons. The new Hanna-Barbera version was also nominated for the Best Short Subjects Oscar.

I wish you a Merry Christmas!!!!

2009-12-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold
Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

Somehow, not only for Christmas
But all the long year through
The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you.
And the more you spend in blessing
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing
Returns to you glad.
John Greenleaf Whittier

The Holly and the Ivy

2009-12-15T22:42:00.003-07:00

The Holly and the Ivy is a marvelous traditional Christmas carol. The music and most of the text was collected by Cecil Sharp.

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:

O, the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

Holly and Ivy calligraphy by Rosemary Buczeck for the Gilded Quill

Oooooo...Christmas Lights!

2009-12-14T16:35:00.001-07:00

My sister sent this to me....don't ya just looooove Christmas lights?!!!

Straight No Chaser.....Another Musical Holiday Moment!

2009-12-05T19:06:00.002-07:00

The mens acapella group Straight No Chaser singing their version of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Christmas Marvelous Musical Moment 2

2009-12-05T03:02:00.000-07:00

So many Marvelous Musicals!
Everybody loves, or ya ought to, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Christmas Time is Here

Holiday Movie Moment!

2009-12-04T03:42:00.001-07:00

Oooo! Ooooo!
Yesterday's showing of A Christmas Carol made me think of my other fave holiday movies.
Here's a Marvelous Musical Moment (don't you just love alliteration) from "A Muppet Christmas Carol".

One More Sleep 'Til Christmas

Yea!!!

2009-12-03T18:22:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite Christmas movies is on tonight!
The 1938 version of A Christmas Carol !
I just love the black and white version.
For some reason is just says Christmas to me.

Here's part 1 of another holiday favorite... Mr. Magoo's A Christmas Carol

Happy......

2009-11-26T03:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, since I know everyone doesn't necessarily celebrate Thanksgiving, I'm sending out two greetings today. So, no matter what you're doing, have a fabulous day!

OMG!! The Muppets do Bohemian Rhapsody!!

2009-11-25T21:50:00.003-07:00

All I can say is....You HAVE to watch this!!

Saturday Night Dance Party!!!....Wild Wild West

2009-11-14T13:04:00.005-07:00

Here's the song.....

Now the Dance!
The instructors show up around 30seconds into the video....I like this vid because they go through a lot of the song.

Honoring Those Who Serve(d)

2009-11-11T12:44:00.001-07:00

Halloween Happy!!!

2009-10-29T09:13:00.004-07:00

Yes, I did mean Halloween Happy!
I am Halloween Happy....I love to do all kinds of Halloween stuff...probably because I love the color ORANGE!! and Black is a good color too!
So here are some cool Halloween things....Enjoy!

Love what this woman has done with nails

Here's an old fashioned Halloween with Betty Boop

A Halloween Classic.....Monster Mash!

Of course You MUST watch Michael Jackson's THRILLER!...here's the link

Leavin' on a jet plane.....really...today!

2009-10-07T03:39:00.001-07:00

Yep! Hopped a plane this A.M.
More info later...Enjoy the vid!

I"m Movin' On

2009-10-06T06:26:00.003-07:00

In honor of my ...FINALLY...packing up my stuff again, and moving...I'm playing all of my favorite traveling, moving, etc. songs.
Here are the first songs that came to mind....more tomorrow.

Pssst! Anyone notice that all the traveling songs seem to be by men? Is it just me? Or maybe there are some by women and I just don't know them...pooh.

The Lady and the Snake

2009-08-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

A young girl was trudging along a mountain path, trying to reach her grandmother's house. It was bitter cold, and the wind cut like a knife. When she was within sight of her destination, she heard a rustle at her feet.

Looking down, she saw a snake. Before she could move, the snake spoke to her. He said, "I am about to die. It is too cold for me up here, and I am freezing. There is no food in these mountains, and I am starving. Please put me under your coat and take me with you."

"No," replied the girl. "I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite me, and your bite is poisonous."

"No, no," said the snake. "If you help me, you will be my best friend. I will treat you differently."

The little girl sat down on a rock for a moment to rest and think things over. She looked at the beautiful markings on the snake and had to admit that it was the most beautiful snake she had ever seen.

Suddenly, she said, "I believe you. I will save you. All living things deserve to be treated with kindness."

The little girl reached over, put the snake gently under her coat and proceeded toward her grandmother's house.

Within a moment, she felt a sharp pain in her side. The snake had bitten her.

"How could you do this to me?" she cried. "You promised that you would not bite me, and I trusted you!"

"You knew what I was when you picked me up," hissed the snake as he slithered away.

(course in my version the man/woman/child then uses her last bits of strength to beat/stomp the crap out of the snake before she dies...saying if I gotta go so do you......apparently I'm not all that nice)

Here's the musical version of this story.
Love this song but not too crazy about the graphics!

On her way to work one morning
Down the path along side the lake
A tender hearted woman saw a poor half frozen snake
His pretty colored skin had been all frosted with the dew
"Oh well," she cried, "I'll take you in and I'll take care of you"

"Take me in tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, tender woman," sighed the snake.

Now she wrapped him all cozy in a coverture of silk
And then laid him by the fireside with some honey and some milk
Now she hurried home from work that night as soon as she arrived
She found that pretty snake she'd taken to had been revived.

"Take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, tender woman," sighed the snake

She clutched him to her bosom, "You're so beautiful," she cried
"But if I hadn't brought you in, by now you might have died"
Now she stroked his pretty skin again and then kissed and held him tight
But instead of saying thanks, the snake gave her a vicious bite!

"Take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in for heaven's sake
Take me in, tender woman," sighed the snake.

"Now I saved you," cried the woman
And you've bit me, even why?
And you know your bite is poisonous and now I'm going to die"
"Ah shut up, silly woman," said that reptile with a grin
“Now you knew darn well I was a snake before you brought me in "

Please, take me in, oh tender woman
Take me in, for heaven's sake
Take me in, tender woman," sighed the snake, sighed the snake

“Take me in tender woman
“Come on in you pretty snake…
Come on in, yeah, come on in you pretty snake…

A Sunday "Sermonette" from Lambert, Hendricks and Ross

2009-08-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

I love Lambert Hendricks and Ross!
Semonette is a fab song....I'm not all that crazy about the images used in the vid but just do what I do and listen to the music.

Here's LH&R live in 1961, with O.C. Smith, singing "Everyday I Have the Blues".

This is Jon Hendricks reencarnation of the Lambert, Hendricks & Ross trio live on Vitoria (July 19th 1991). They're singing "Come On Home". The lyrics were written by Jon Hendricks.
Vocals by Jon Hendrick, Kevin Fitzgerald Burke, Aria Hendricks (Jon's daughter) and Judith Hendricks (Jon's wife).

It's not the heat????

2009-08-10T11:23:00.003-07:00

So, you know how "they" always say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."

Well, I think, "they" are nuts!!

It is the flippin' heat AND the humidity!!!

I swear it's like breathing something that fights back!
And the heat, only makes it an extra special experience(yes, that was sarcasm).

Alrighty...enough of this kvetchin' about the weather (not that I couldn't go on and on and on....).

Let's listen to a little music, since it is Monday.
And what better song to hear than "Heatwave" by Martha and the Vandellas!

It's Wednesday!! Yea?.....Today I Sing the Blues & I'm a might Twisted

2009-08-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

Alright y'all! Time for some good ole blues!!
Not that I have the blues...nope, I'm more likely to have the Oranges!
This is from the "Three Mo' Tenors" special...I love these guys!

I looooove singing this song!!! Wonder why??

Thoughts for Thursday

2009-07-30T12:57:00.005-07:00

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Anderson

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. ~Robert Byrne

The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth. ~Chinese Proverb

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~Elwyn Brooks White

Life is simple, its just not easy. ~Author Unknown

A life without cause is a life without effect. ~Barbarella

Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't. ~Richard Bach

Fabulous Friday...sing along...Don't Go Changin'...

2009-07-24T15:09:00.004-07:00

Love Billy Joel...Love this song!!

Don't go changing to try and please me,
you never let me down before...
Don't imagine you're too familiar
and I don't see you anymore...

I could not leave you in times of trouble,
we never would've come this far...
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times,
I'll take you just the way you are...

Don't go trying some new fashion,
don't change the color of your hair...
You always have my unspoken passion
although I might not seem to care...

I don't want clever conversation,
I never want to work that hard...
I just want someone that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are...

I need to know that you will always be
the same old someone that I knew...
Ah, what will it take till you believe in me
the way that I believe in you?

I said 'I love you', and that's forever,
and this I promise from the heart...
I could not love you any better,
I love you just the way you are...

I don't want clever conversation,
no, no, I never want to work that hard...
I just want someone that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are oh oh oh ...

Checkout Diana Krall singing I Love You Just the Way You Are

Wow Wednesday!!

2009-07-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Chinese Deaf Dance Group - The Thousand Hands of Buddha

As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart
A thousand hands will naturally come to your aid
As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart
You will reach out with a thousand hands to help others

I put this vid up because you can actually see people on the side directing movements

I Sing the Body Electric!......Musical Monday

2009-07-05T20:55:00.004-07:00

I love this song! It suddenly popped into my head this evening.
I enjoy a good musical and FAME was pretty good.
I forget when it came out...in the 80's I think (I don't feel like looking it up, sorry).
Enjoy this song and sing along :-)

Here's your bonus vid...Out Here on My Own..with a very young Irene Cara.

Musical Monday.....I'm a Woman!!

2009-06-22T09:48:00.004-07:00

Alright y'all!
It's Monday so it must be time for some Music!
Yep, that's just what we need on a Monday, a little music to lift the spirit.

So, I went to my fave place, youtube, and found this fabulous clip from the play Smokey Joe's Cafe.....cause I'm a Woman!

Now they're just being silly!!!

2009-06-21T11:06:00.004-07:00

Good Grief!!
First there was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it came out in April of this year and I read it (here's my blog on that book).

It's actually a fun, though strange, book, especially if you know P&P backwards and forwards.

But noooow....we have Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.

Just when you think it's safe to go back to the bookstore!

Apparently Ms. Grange starts her story where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark Darcy family curse.
Okay, like....how the heck did we miss that the man was a vampyre???
I'm sure she explains it.

Ms Grange also wrote Mr. Darcy's Diary which I have read. It was okay not my favorite Mr Darcy background book. The best of those might be Pamela Aidan's trilogy of books in the Fitzwilliam Darcy: Gentleman series. I enjoyed Ms. Aidan's books, there are three of them, and read them simultaneously while rereading P&P.

Mr Darcy, Vampyre comes out in August. I doubt if I will be able to stop myself from reading it. Hopefully it will be as fun and lighthearted as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I wonder what's next???? Elizabeth Bennet-Darcy, Werewolf????

Cary Grant as James Bond???

2009-06-08T18:18:00.004-07:00

I love Cary Grant!
I had no idea that he had been considered for the part of James Bond.
Wow!
I mean, I can not at this point think of anyone as being the James Bond except for Sean Connery but I bet Cary would have been smooooooooth!

I especially loved him in:
The Philadelphia Story (1940 my favorite!)
His Girl Friday (1940)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
An Affair to Remember (1957)

So check out his Bond like scenes from various movies.

Okay..these are for my sister!

2009-06-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Don't even pretend girl! You know you loooove Michael Jackson...well, the old, original Michael Jackson.
I was checkin' out youtube, I really need to stay away from there, when I found these and I know you wanted to see them.
Have fun!!

A tribute to the Jackson Five...check out the clothes and the moves!

Oh yeah!! Classic J5..and that hat on Michael is fierce!! :P

This is supposed to be the first televised performance of "ABC".

I wanna be your Sugar Daddy...

The Jackson 5 with Vicki Lawrence on the Carol Burnett Show.

Oooo...the J5 on Sonny and Cher.

We can't forget the Jackson 5 cartoon series....

Wow! I have never seen this one...it's either fabulous or really weird.
And it has Janice and Randy!

I Dig Rock and Roll Music!!!

2009-06-02T10:52:00.004-07:00

A blast from the past!
Sammy Davis, Jr and "Mama" Cass Elliot....didn't you just love those
variety shows??!!

OMGosh!!! Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence from 1967
Those clothes, those dancers! Fabulous!!

Hellooooo Possums!!!

2009-05-23T23:23:00.002-07:00

You just have to Looooove Dame Edna! She is absolutely fabulous!

You absolutely MUST watch this entire interview....too, too funny!

Wubba, Wubba, Wubba, Wubba, Woo, Woo, Woo!!!

2009-05-19T18:10:00.001-07:00

I just love this!!!

Smooth Criminal

2009-05-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Okay...this is really cool!
I have always liked Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal vid.
The dancing is just fabulous!!!
But check out the second vid where some brilliant person put old clips of Fred Astaire, Cyd Charise and others dancing to Smooth Criminal.
It's Brilliant!!!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?????

2009-05-10T20:06:00.004-07:00

Is nothing sacred??

I just found out about this new book, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
It just came out in April.

At first, I was in shock but then asked myself why???
I mean, really, nothing is sacred...anyone who has read Christopher Moore's Lamb knows that(I have to admit that the book was funny).

So, why should I be surprised that someone added zombies to Pride and Prejudice???

You may have guessed by now that I am a HUGE Pride and Prejudice fan.
I have read the book countless time.

I have the audiobook which I have listened too so many time that I think I can say the lines with the characters now (okay not all of them just Elizabeth and maybe a few of Darcy's).

I love the mini series version of P&P that the BBC put out in.....I think it came out in 1995.

The 2005 movie version was too, too dark for me

And I have read many of the P&P continuations.
My fave is Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife.

That book was fabulous!!!

Anyhoo, I read a few reviews of the new PP&Z and it doesn't sound half bad.
I suppose, I will HAVE to go buy the book and read it

Dang it!! I just left the bookstore 2 hours ago...aaaand I had a coupon!!!

The first line of the book is.....

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

Too, too funny!!! Especially if you have the first line memorized.

Here's what Amazon has to say about the book.....

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.

Here are a few scenes from the BBC mini series set to one of my fave songs!!

OMG!! The very best scene....the end when they FINALLY get together!

Love, Laughter, Peace, Blessings and watch out for zombies!!!

4 a.m. ????

2009-05-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Is there something mystical or magical about 4 a.m. ???
The poet Rives takes us into the amazing series of coincidences surrounding that most surreal of hours, 4 o'clock in the morning.

Beany and Cecil...Wild man!!

2009-05-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

This is too too funny!!! Crazy man!!!

Jonathan Harris: The Web's secret stories

2009-04-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely fascinating and just a bit spooky.

I'm melting, melting.......

2009-04-28T14:54:00.003-07:00

It has been flippin' hot here!!!
And we are having AC problems!!!
At this point clothing is optional...TMI????

I know just how she feels.....

The Brain in Love

2009-04-25T20:03:00.003-07:00

I have a new Ipod!!!

Uh huh....what, you say, has this to do with your topic??

Well, first, I do really love my new Ipod...really!
And because I love it and it holds 120 gigs of stuff...
I had to find more stuff to put on it.

Okay, okay...I'm getting to my point.

Soooo, I didn't have anymore music and I turned to podcasts.
Why? Cause they're usually free...duh...(I'm getting there)

So, I found out that ITunes had added some of my fave vids for free download.....TEDTalks!!!

aaaaand...one of the TEDTalks I downloaded was a vid called The Brain in Love (see I told you I was getting to it )

A little synchronicity here...I was just emailing a friend about love and obsession the other day...so I figure I would share it with you...cause I luv ya!!

Hope y'all enjoy the vid....Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings!
La

About this talk (vid)
Why do we crave love so much, even to the point that we would die for it? To learn more about our very real, very physical need for romantic love, Helen Fisher and her research team took MRIs of people in love -- and people who had just been dumped.
About Helen Fisher
Anthropologist Helen Fisher studies gender differences and the evolution of human emotions. She's best known as an expert on romantic love...

Happy Easter....It's the Easter Beagle!!!!

2009-04-11T22:30:00.003-07:00

Yea for Snoopy! Here's It's the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown! in 3 parts....

Hot Cross Buns.....an Easter Tradition

2009-04-11T02:25:00.002-07:00

Hot-cross Buns!
Hot-cross Buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot-cross Buns!

If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons.

One a penny, two a penny,
Hot-cross Buns!

Here's a recipe to make your own Hot Cross Buns!

another fabulous recipe with pics here at AppleandSpice.blogspot.com