Deja Vu All Over Again

Thought for the day: Some things are too much fun to only do once.

Pick a single post from 2012 to rerun, huh? Not as easy peasy as I thought it would be. I mean, we've only got one shot at making a first impression, and the question is, what kind of impression do I want to make? Should I go with something educational? Inspirational? Silly? Something about writing? About amateur radio? Long? Short?  (Dare I risk offense by blasting y'all with the Blowing in the Wind one about flatulence...?) 

Okay, here we go. Decision made. The following post premiered on January 18 with the title Enjoying the Trip Back Down. To all you wonderful people who stop by on a regular basis, I hope you don't mind reading it again. To any blogfest blog-hoppers stopping by for the first time, welcome aboard. I hope you enjoy it.

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Thought for the day:  A good attitude is contagious, but for Heaven's sake, don't wait to catch it from somebody. Be a carrier.  

still smiling after all these years

Tell me please, dear friends, how can I possibly be over the hill when I don't remember ever making it to the top?

But I own a doll proclaiming it, so it must be true, right? Worse, I've already had that darned doll for decades. Got it from one of my friends when I turned forty. To tell the truth, I didn't feel old then, and I don't feel particularly old now. So what if I'm at an age where the pain under a woman's breast may very well turn out to be a bum knee? Who cares if men my age have long since abandoned wild oats in favor of prunes and high fiber cereal, and consider Happy Hour to be a nice long nap?

Tell ya what. If I really AM over the hill, I plan on enjoying the trip back down. Squeeze as much good stuff out of it as I can. After all, like that famous dude said, I may not pass this way again.

 But you know, there's a lot of good things to say about getting older. Like we generally have the confidence to stand for more convictions, and the moxie to fall for less malarkey. We may still be competitive, but we also realize that being kind is much more important than being right. We've learned it isn't very smart to test the depth of the water with both feet, and we understand that the true art of conversation isn't just about saying the right thing at the right time. Sometimes, it means keeping our mouths shut when it's oh-so-tempting to deliver a verbal shot.

And hey, hey, hey! Looky here! Our Social Security checks are a little higher this year. 

Even though politicians are pontificating about cutting spending, about making changes to social security and medicare, we the people actually got a raise in Social Security benefits this year. See? Congress really DOES love us!  Forget all that nonsense about "death panels." There's absolutely NO TRUTH in the following clip, either. None at all.

Now, I'm not ready to take up sky diving or run off a cliff, but hey! I'm as adventurous as I've always been, doggone it. I believe I'll have me a bowl of full-fat strawberry ice cream for dessert tonight. Heck, I might even eat it FIRST. (What a rebel.)

                           Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.   Mark Twain


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Sincere thanks to D.L. Hammons for hosting this blogfest.

A Ride Through the Countryside

Thought for the day:  I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

Need a short break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations? Seems to me it's time to take another little road trip, dontcha think? Chopsticks won't be joining us, because we're not going to be looking at translated Oriental signs this time. Nope, gonna go cruising for more of those funny billboards you only wish someone would erect. Remember them? Been a while, huh? As always, sincere thanks to the fine folks at  Dribble Glass for so graciously granting me permission to share their stuff.

So, ya ready? Here we go...

                                There ya go. I hope you got a big KICK out of some of these.

                                     Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

This 'n' That

Thought for the day:  If you have a drawer filled with odds and ends, and get rid of all but one thing... which is it?

Yep, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. There's even more red splashed around our house than usual, and even though it's so warm I wore shorts and a tee shirt to go shopping the other day, Dash still felt the need to curl up inside a flannel shirt she found lying on the bed. (Her head is peeking out the sleeve!) (And, um, yes, that IS a lava lamp in the background.)

Okay, this is gonna be an eclectic post today. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Like what do YOU want for Christmas? I have a pretty good idea  what my hubby would like...

                                                      (I'll have to see what I can do...)

How's about this for an early Christmas present? How's about a break from wracking your brain to come up with an idea for a post this Friday? D.L. Hammons is hosting a blogfest where all you have to do is pick out your favorite post from 2012, and run it again. Um, one YOU wrote, that is. You know, maybe one that didn't get the love you think it deserved? Whatever floats your boat. If you'd like to participate, just hit that Deja Vu button in the side bar, and sign on up. Should be fun!

Kittie Howard's new book launched last Thursday, and I think this is one you might want to order right away. Really! Not only is it a really good book, but this month's sales proceeds are being funneled to the Wounded Warrior project. So, while you're giving yourself the gift of this book, your money will also be supporting a very worthy cause.

What's it about? I'm glad you asked. David, a decorated Marine who survived the horrors of Iwo Jima, doesn't expect to have to fight more battles when he returns to Louisiana after the war. But he does. You see, the local members of the KKK don't care about his war record.

Intrigued? You should be. Kittie does an excellent job of taking a part of history some of us would rather forget, those horrific days of lynchings and cross-burnings... and makes it come alive. And she breathes life into the sharecroppers and their families, too, both black and white, who were terrorized by the Klan, and demonstrates the enduring got-your-back brotherhood of the Marines. As a special added bonus, she also offers some background history and a Cajun glossary at the beginning of the book that I'm sure other history nerds will enjoy as much as I did.

And like I said, the $2.99 it'll cost you to get the e-book on Amazon or Smashwords can help make a difference for our returning soldiers. Ginormous kudos to Kittie for supporting Wounded Warriors again. (She did the same thing with her first book.)

Think I can get away with serving Smarticus THESE crabs....?

Nah, me neither.





You guys like custard? Me, I wouldn't mind finding myself in a swimming pool filled with the stuff and eating my way out. Okay, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it's definitely one of my favorite old-fashioned comfort foods. Much to my surprise, I discovered recently that none of my friends ever make it. They LIKE it... they just don't know how to MAKE it. And it is sooooo easy! This recipe comes from a circa 1945 or so cookbook, and tell ya what... I'm gonna share it with you.

Preheat your oven to 350, because you'll have the custard ready to pop in there in no time at all. Mix 3/4 c of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated... sweetened condensed) with 2 1/4 c HOT water. (not boiling, but HOT) While stirring continuously, gradually pour the milk mixture over 3 slightly beaten eggs. Add 1/4 tsp salt. (optional) That's IT. I sometimes add a splash of vanilla or rum flavoring or grated coconut, but none of those things are needed. It's super good just as is. Pour the mixture into a baking dish or individual custard cups, sprinkle with nutmeg, and set in a pan of hot water. Then bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife blade can be inserted and comes out clean. See? Easy! And oh, so good.

Okay, has this post been eclectic enough for ya? I believe I'm gonna go make some custard now... for some reason, I've suddenly developed a craving for it. And then? And then I believe I'm gonna go out and get some crabs. Who says we have to wait for Christmas? It's December. Close enough.

         
                                      Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.