Did She Really Say That?

Lazy...

2012-01-29T17:02:00.003-06:00

I recently started collecting photographs of my more memorable secondhand finds. Here's a link to the album. Oh so lazy.

Neat Secondhand Finds

Chuck E. Cheese Can Suck My ...

2012-01-29T10:15:00.000-06:00

After attending a birthday party at a local Chuck E. Cheese, I decided to send an email to the corporate offices. Being a woman of my word, I am sharing this with the general public. I do want to thank my cousins for providing much entertainment, but let's face it, when you have my cousins you always have a good time regardless. Also a shot out to the hubby who braved the idiocy and took the kids into what I viewed to be a special corner of hell. As promised, here is my email to Chuck E. Cheese, and the world at large.

My cousin held her daughter's 7th birthday yesterday afternoon at the Tinley Park location. My 3 children, husband and myself all attended. Let me walk you through our experience.

The parking lot had no available parking, not one space. We had to park in a parking lot for an adjacent business and walk to your establishment. We then had to STAND OUTSIDE just to get to the doors as there was a line of nearly 50 people waiting to get in. Stand outside with our 2 year old son, 4 year old daughter, and 10 year old daughter. During our wait outside just to get to the doors, I played a counting game. The magic number was 4. 4 was the number of infants in baby carriers or a parents' arms, standing outside, in the January weather.

Once we were lucky enough to enter the establishment your "greeters" did little more than scream at the people standing in line. We waited nearly 15 minutes just to get to the greeter, who was incredibly inept and rude. The hand stamping boy grabbed my 4 year old daughter's arm and snatched her toward him. She said "ow that hurt" to which he said ... absolutely nothing.

Breaking away from the Gestapo-like greeters we were directed to the party area which consisted of 6 or 7 rows of long tables crammed in an area which was much better suited for no more than 4 tables. In the 2:30 to 4:30 time slot this location had 10 birthday parties running consecutively. There was barely room to breathe, or move, let alone enjoy yourself.

I won't touch on the food as, let's face it, it's Chuck E. Cheese every human on the planet who is unfortunate enough to dine there knows the sordid quality of your food. I will say that your business resembles that of the infamous Union Stockyards in Chicago, and on an extreme level, the human herding and industrialization you have created could be compared to a Nazi concentration camp with an engorged stuffed rat running the show.

I ask you not to respond with a coupon for your tokens, your tickets, or any of your fare. I want nothing from you. I simply want to reassure that I am an extraordinarily talented free-lance writer and you are not the only people who will receive this message. I highly recommend you alter your business practices, or perhaps exterminate them altogether. You are an example of capitalism at its very worst and I think a fitting idea would be for you to attend a Saturday afternoon at any of your locations. Or are you smart enough to know to go elsewhere? Good day.

It's A Slow Morning, Let's Play With Google.

2012-01-20T11:02:00.002-06:00

Google search..."Wendy is"

Wendy is a New York City- based line of women's and men's clothing and accessories.

Wendy is a given name generally given to females in English-speaking countries.

Wendy is now a Level 4 Zombie fighting machine! (my favorite)

Wendy is prepared.

Wendy is Back via FM9116. (wait, I think this is my favorite)

Wendy is the most outspoken of the 4th grade girls. (wait, I think this is my favorite)

Wendy is wearing a leopard print jersey zip front dress with blouson sleeves.

Wendy is the daughter of Captain hook. (wait, no, THIS is my favorite)

Wendy is part of the Wendy's legacy.

Wendy is so great that I would strongly recommend her as a therapist to my closest friends and family.

How'd you do that???

2012-01-20T10:26:00.015-06:00

Crafty model extraordinaire.

I hear that quite a bit when people come to my house. I have an...interesting...home to say the least. My mother has said that my personality threw up all over my walls but I like to see it as more of a light dry heave. All that aside, with the constant yet subtle pressure of friends and family, I have decided to share some how-to info on the more interesting projects we've done. Joined, as always, by my crafty companion "Serene Clean Sapience."

Anyway...this is our latest project.

"Shoeprints"

You'll need the following

Paper...
of the bright colored breed.

Paint

paper towels

Tape.

The nitty gritty.

Gather all your supplies and find a nice area on which you can spread out (we used the dining room table with two leaves). Clean the soles of the chosen shoes. While they dry, get your paint in a relatively thin layer on a large plate, mix with a little water to thin out the paint just a bit.

Once the shoes are dry, paint the soles and stamp them on a sheet of your chosen paper. (It's a good idea to test this on a separate sheet of paper before committing.) Choose any pattern you want and simply repeat the stamping process until you are satisfied.

We removed everything from our frames and tossed it in the recycle bin (so relax). Once our paintings were dry we flipped the frame and taped the finished pieces to the frames. Done!

Shoes

Old, unused frames

Here is our finished product, complete with a mischievous boy!

I hope you try this, and have fun doing it. It's a great way to "immortalize" baby shoes that cost too much and don't last as long.

By the way, we made four and plan on hanging two high up on the wall and two on the ceiling. =]

<3 DidSheReallySayThat

I hate little dogs. An exploration of dog adoption.

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-06:00

No, really I do. I hate little dogs. Yippy, snippy and all the other irritating and irrational "ippy" words you can contrive. That being said, let's progress.

I love Labradors, Neopolitan Mastiffs, Boxers, Begales, Basset Hounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, English Bulldogs, Weimeraners, and a couple other breeds as well.

Clarification is complete.

Having three (insert a plethora of awesome adjectives here) kids, we want them to have a dog. The idyllic family dog who can prance, romp, tumble, and snuggle with us and we with it. The idea of purchasing a dog from a pet store is not an option, we don't support puppy mills. Adoption. Let's do it!

So, off to Petfinder we go to explore the adoptable dogs in our area. There just so happens to be a hound rescue group in our area, in addition to the hundereds of other rescue groups/Humane Societies in our area. Finding a dog in this area isn't a difficult thing to do. We absolutely found dogs that tickled our fancy and piled in the Slave III and headed out to pet stores for adoption events to continue our search.

[[[At this point I should mention that the Calumet Area Humane Society had a used book/cd/cassette/dvd/vhs sale, so the reliable Slave III naturally pointed us in that direction. I walked away with a paper bag full of stuff, but want to make mention of these fantastic finds. They do have a ladies night out event coming soon, check their website for details!]]]

*smack* FOCUS WOMAN!!

As much as I love the Humane Society, all the dogs are penned up and agitated, nervous, and bored. When you mix those emotions into a canine concoction, you get a lot of pacing, barking and jumping and it's difficult not to equate that to aggression, especially for kids. That being said, nothing really sparked our interest apart from a massive bulldog with minor health issues. We progressed to the PetSmart in Highland and there was a group holding an adoption event there, however it was only cats...we have a cat...we want a dog. An employee told us that there would be a group with dogs the next day. So...yeah...we went home.

The next day we piled back in the Slave III and returned to PetSmart. And what did we find? A group right by the entrance holding an adoption event for their dog rescue. Their very small dogs dog rescue. Needless to say, the girls went crazy for these "almost dogs" and my husband loves any dog so they immediately darted toward the dogs amid a cacophony of "auh" and "OMG SO CUTE!!!" My son and I headed to the cat grooming supplies amid a cacophony of "meh" and "there's always next weekend."

A few moments later while browsing waterless shampoo for cats (kitty is neurotic about water) I hear my daughters giggling and whispering with my husband at the end of the aisle. At first glance I thought they had a small cat, or toy attached to a leash. Upon further examination I realized it was one of the rescue group's "almost dogs."

"What is that thing?"
"It's a dog."
"Who told you that?"

Que the sob story. "Mommy her collar was embedded in her neck. Her ear was slammed in a door! Another dog chewed on her tail and it had to be docked. And and and and when they were neutering her they found a bb in her chest."

-.-

I hate little dogs.

"Here babe, hold her leash I want to go see something...over there."
"No, take her...I mean it...with you!"
"No no, she can't come over here."

-.-

I hate little dogs.

But she's staring at me.

*grumble grumble*

"Oh my, look at your fur."

She has that weird tiger stripe looking coat. On a dachshund...it's weird.

"Oh my, look at your poor little ear."

I bend down to look at her gnarled ear...

She jumps in my lap and licks my cheek.

-.-

=]

"Well hi sweetie."

*scratch* *pet*

She jumps down and lays on her back so I can rub her belly. I oblige.

She looks at my son, who is bent over the cart barking at her to get her attention, and starts spinning in circles. So I pick her up and he pokes her right in the eye. She licks his hand and he hugs her face. He calls her "puppy."

Hubby returns with our daughters to this scene.

I Hate Little Dogs

a screenplay by "DidSheReallySayThat"

INT BRIGHTLY LIT PETSMART STORE (CAT GROOMING/SUPPLIES AISLE)

HUBBY enters from far side with DAUGHTER1 AND DAUGHTER2.

DIDSHEREALLYSAYTHAT stands in the middle of the aisle with LITTLE DOG and SON.

HUBBY stands still with DAUGHTER1 and DAUGHTER2 watching DIDSHEREALLYSAYTHAT

DIDSHEREALLYSAYTHAT is nuzzling the nose of LITTLE DOG and SON carrying LITTLE DOG like a football in her left arm.

DIDSHEREALLYSAYTHAT [muted squeal]

Whossapuppy. You are! Are you so pretty? Yes you are. Whosaprettyprettyprettypuppybabygirl? You are! Wookit the wittle baby girl with the pretty face.

SON waves at HUBBY

Hi daddy!

DIDSHEREALLYSAYTHAT puts LITTLE DOG back on the floor and composes herself.

DIDSHEREALLYSAYTHAT

Well, are we ready to go then?

Scene.

I hate little dogs.

Daisy May is not a little dog...
that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Oh, just to clarify, our adoption application is pending. =]

Descriptive Science Assignment- Flowers and Trees - By, Seneca

2011-02-28T11:44:00.000-06:00

The Illinois State Tree
Did you know that the white oak tree is the Illinois state tree? Well, now you know. The white oak tree's leaves have round and smooth edges and is a rather dark green. The lines or veins are almost white but actually a light green! The acorns are green and brown. The top is a darkish light brown that has a small amount of white in it's creases. The body is green, brown and yellow. The green is almost all of the body. The yellow comes in at the bottom. And finally, the brown is at the very bottom. The twig is a reddish brown and some sort of grey. There are lots of buds that are small round and hairless. Twigs are almost all the time shiny. The bark of w white oak is white or ashy grey. Varying from scaly to irregularly platy and blocky in shape. The white oak can grown to a massive height of 100 feet tall!

The Illinois State Flower
Did you know the native violet is the Illinois state flower? Well, it's not the only one of it's kind. The native violet comes in many different colors such as yellow, white, blue-violet, and purple and even an unusual green! There are at the least 30 different species and 25 of them can be found in the Chicago land alone! A lot of the species are small and only have 5 petals. 1 violet species was nicknamed Johnny jump up, and many more are the subject of nursery rhymes and poems. It is also called nature's vitamin pill. Some you can even eat!

Homeschool Happenings - This Week's Lineup

2011-02-21T09:07:00.000-06:00

After a few comrades, and compatriots have inquired as to Seneca's daily lessons, and other homeschool related questions, I have decided to post occasional lessons and lesson plans.
I shall begin with this week's skeleton of a subject plan.

Spelling - Unit 14 - receive list on Monday, folder due Friday with words rewritten in cursive and each word used in a sentence. ***Challenge*** Use at least two words per sentence

Grammar - continue adjectives packet - parts of speech hangman - MadLibs Monday!!

Reading - continue and complete Homer Price writing/sketching assignment - complete vocabulary assignment - complete Shortcuts from newspaper - select a newspaper article to read and give oral report

Science - complete all assignments 1. Write a paragraph each describing the Illinois state tree and flower. 2. Complete and color plant parts book and diagrams. Begin lesson 2 - read section, complete review, ***Write It Wednesday*** write at least one paragraph about edible seeds around the world, accompany with at least two illustrations

History - Vaudeville project phase 1 - Choose and research your performers, write your paragraphs, include photos if you like.

Geography - Begin Mountain region packet, complete this region in your Geography project

Math - You have advanced to triple digit addition and subtraction with borrowing and carrying for your Wednesday Weeklies timed tests. Continuing fractions (lesson 4), Wednesday Weeklies (15 min three digit addition 64 questions, 15 minute three digit subtraction 35 questions, 10 minute multiplication 30 questions), long division handout

Additional - calisthenics/exercise 10-15 min every day piano practice 25-30 min every day, helping friends with new house often as possible, Tuesday gymnastics 3:45-4:30, Thursday Calvin and Hobbes party @ Crete library, Saturday charity spaghetti dinner @4 and get together with friends @6, Sunday taking the family to Hollywood Blvd. for Gnomeo and Juliet and dinner.

Homeschool Happenings - History Project (Vaudeville)

2011-02-16T13:24:00.000-06:00

Seneca has finished her lessons regarding the culture of the United States in the first decade of the 1900s, and while she was attentive throughout, one thing really caught her attention. Vaudeville. This does not surprise me as anything relating to the fine arts always catches her fancy. So, I sat down with the hubby and we came up with an end of chapter history project that will really get her psyched.*que the music*

"The Show Must Go On!"

1. Vauldeville performers.
Select at least two, but as many as five, well known vaudeville performers. You can find a detailed list of the well known vaudevillians at these websites.
Famous Vaudeville Performers A-K
Famous Vaudeville Performers L-Z
Once you have chosen your subjects, research their vaudeville careers and write one paragraph about each person you chose. You may include a photo of each performer, should you so choose.

2. Vaudeville performances
You have briefly read about the acts performed during a vaudeville performance. Now, read about them more in depth, discover what a typical vaudeville show would include. Then, you are to describe a vaudeville show in at least one paragraph. Be creative here, you can pretend that you are in the audience! You may include a photo of a theatre, a vaudeville advertisement, an actual performance.

3. Artistic project
You now have all the information you need. Your final stage of this project is to create a vaudeville performance. You have complete creative freedom here, kind of. If you want to use your theatre box, or if you want to draw the stage yourself, the choice is yours. You must meet the following requirements.

You must have a stage.
The performers on stage must be those about whom you wrote.
The performers must be shown performing whatever feat for which they were known.

Here are some creative tips.
This does not have to be drawn on a piece of paper and colored with crayons, as a matter of fact, YOU CAN'T DO THAT! Be creative, make it interesting!
Include the following, should you choose
Movable parts - attach your performers to straws or strings so that you can act out the performance.
A side stage stand - these were used to tell the audience who was performing and what they were doing.
Actual photographs - there is nothing wrong with printing and cutting out a picture of your chosen performer, as long as that picture shows them doing their vaudeville performance. (Can't find a proper picture? Cut out their head and paste it to a hand made body doing their performance.)

You have two weeks to complete your assignment. Your timing should go as follows.
Week One

Select and research your performers.
Write your paragraphs about your selected performers
Research the actual vaudeville performances
Write your paragraphs about the performances

Week Two

Plan your artistic recreation
Gather all materials needed
Create your vaudeville performance

Chicago Bears Don't Quit.

2011-01-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

I have to say that I am heartily disappointed to see all the garbage that the players are saying about fellow pro, Jay Cutler. I have come to expect fans to use social media to further their inexperienced, uneducated, and grammatically disastrous thoughts to an uncaring audience, but other players?

Most of you may know that I am not a professional football player, that being said, even I know that the medical staff has the final word whether or not a player can get in the game. Is this fact lost of other professional football players? Long gone are the days when injured players receive a shot of morphine and a pat on the back and I am disgusted to see other players attempt to bolster their own twitter numbers by bashing one of their own.

If I could personally respond to them I would merely tell them this . . . It is very easy to criticize someone behind the perceived anonymity of the internet. Most certainly, considering that you yourself are sitting at home, nowhere near a divisional playoff game, only a fool would heed your words.

My personal gratitude for the multitude of fans who support Jay Cutler and dismiss the heckling and jibing.

More importantly, Chicago Bears teammates are supporting Jay, and at the end of the day, that's what matters most. I am proud that Brian Urlacher and Olin Kreutz are vocal supporters of Jay, as well they should be. My 30 years on this earth have taught me that the only reason why anyone will hate you, is because they want to be just like you.

Jay Cutler, you are one hell of a quarterback. Chicago Bears, you have one HELL of a season. I can't wait to get started all over again. I am proud of you all.

Bears/Packers THIS SUNDAY

2011-01-18T12:22:00.000-06:00

Click to enlarge.

Two Book Reviews, By Seneca Spencer.

2011-01-14T11:06:00.000-06:00

Me at the Crete Library

Hi, I'm Seneca and I am going to review two books I just read for school (I <3 Home school). I use <3s for my ratings, five is the highest possible score.

Let's start with The Scarlet Stockings Spy written by Trinka Hakes Noble and illustrated by Robert Papp. It is a part of the Tales of Young Americans series. The book was very interesting and very sad, but it was more interesting than sad. The artwork was very beautiful, my favorite picture was of Maddy Rose (the main character) and her mother, they both looked very happy in their little cottage house.

Maddy Rose was a spy (kind of) during the American Revolution. She had a code to let her brother, who was in the army, know what the British were doing. Her brother died in the war, but another boy took over for getting the messages from Maddy. One day, Maddy found out that her brother was dead, and she got her brother's coat, and used her stockings and her petticoat and sewed an American flag.

I would recommend this book for someone who is interested in American history, kids my age (9) to 15 or 16, and even some adults!

This book gets <3 <3 <3 <3 <

The second book I am going to review today is titled Fun With Roman Numerals by David A. Adler, and illustrated by Edward Miller III (that's 3 in Roman Numerals, lol). This book is helpful, educational, and fun. The artwork is really cool! There are really great pictures of every day things that use Roman Numerals. My favorite page is the Roman men playing in the Superbowl and they have Roman Numerals on their jerseys. It's very cool. The back cover even has a chart with Roman Numerals all the way up to 1,000! I'm going to copy it into my math notebook, so I will always have it, it is very helpful. I want to learn to play with them with every day math problems, and start using them.

I recommend this book because it's educational and stuff. It's also very fun, so really I would recommend it for people that want to learn about Roman Numerals and I can't even put an age group on this because anyone who has a good sense of humor would like this book and could learn from it.

This book gets <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I hope that you enjoyed my reviews and I hope you find these books in your local library system! Next time I will review Megamind!

<3
Seneca

Film Discussions #2 (PART ONE) Melvin Kaminsky

2010-12-29T14:30:00.000-06:00

Film Discussions #2 Melvin Kaminsky

A personal favorite of mine, although he is more widely known as Mel Brooks, a stage name he derived from his mother’s name of Brookman. Whereas I would love to type endlessly about his life, I will mainly focus on his films. However I do find it necessary to note that he was married to Anne Bancroft, star of 84 Charing Cross Road produced by Brooksfilms, Mel Brooks’ company, from 1964 until her passing in 2005. See, marriage does last . . . occasionally.

If you could read his resume’ (if you had the time) two things would specifically catch your attention. The first being that Mr. Brooks has won not only an Oscar (1), but also an Emmy (3), Grammy (3), and Tony (3) award (only 10 others have achieved this prestige including Liza Minelli and Audrey Hepburn). The second, his job titles are as follows: director, screenwriter, comedian, producer, actor, lyricist and composer. How’s that for marketability? Anyone who has seen a Mel Brooks film (aside from Dracula: Dead and Loving It which I consider to be his mulligan) does not need to be told that he has a very specific brand of witty, sarcastic, slapstick, screwball, tacky, racial/religious/politically charged comedy, and no society is safe from his satire. So, let’s discuss a few of his movies, starting with one of my favorite films ever . . . Blazing Saddles.

Released on February 7th 1974, a mere three days after the birth of my husband, Blazing Saddles

(written by Brooks, Richard Pryor and others) is by far Mel Brooks’ most offensive film, and possibly THE most offensive film, ever committed to celluloid. It is a rare talent indeed that can manage to offend nearly every race of human kind, and at the same time cast Madeline Kahn in a wonderful parody of Marlene Deitrich, As offensive and harsh as the movie’s plot and dialogue are, it still managed to rank number 6 on AFI’s Top 100 Comedies of All Time (two more Brooks movies are in the top 20 as well . . .) and remains, to this day one of the most controversial and quoted films ever. As a child (yes, I watched Blazing Saddles as a child) I found it a bit confusing, but funny thanks mainly to the deputies dancing around, Cleavon Little and the rail workers singing a great Sinatra song, and of course, the camp fire scene, but it’s message was lost on me. That message is still lost on me, as I still see it as merely a comedy by circumstance, offensive to nearly all, and hilarious. Really, the only inoffensive character of the entire film was Sherriff Bart (Cleavon Little). Let’s face it, even the beloved “Waco Kid” was a raging alcoholic/pot head and even Lili Von Shtupp was a glorified hooker (forgive me Madeline, I love you!). That being said, this absolutely hilarious film was nominated for three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, awarded a spot on the National Film Preservation Board of the US, and won the award for Best Comedy for the Screen by the Writers’ Guild of America.

Briefly I will touch on another favorite Brooks film of mine, High Anxiety, the entire length and breadth of which parodied nearly 20 of Alfred Hitchcock‘s films. Starring Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Ron Carey, the amazing Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Howard Morris.

After watching the movie and writing down notations of nods to Hitchcock movies, I found a very thorough list on wikipedia,
and I am going to share it with you . . . Spellbound, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Tom Curtain, The Ring, The Thirty-Nine Steps, Suspicion, Notorious, Under Capricorn, Dial M For Murder, The Wrong Man, Frenzy, Family Plot, Rebecca, and The Lodger. It is a wonderful film as it manages to fit both parody and tribute in a tightly would neurotic package. It’s a somewhat lesser known Mel Brooks movie, if you have not watched it, I recommend that you do so.

It’s Nearly My Anniversary

2010-12-29T13:31:00.001-06:00

Let’s see if I am capable of remembering this year. Yesterday evening, the kids and I were at the store, and my list said in big bold letters with stars around it “CARD.” I stood in the card aisle for nearly five minutes, wracking my brain in a feeble attempt to remember the reason for a card.

Unable to recollect any reason, I left the card aisle. Twenty minutes after arriving home, my husband walked in the door and then I was suddenly struck with the reason why I intended on buying a card.

What can I say . . . I suck.

Awesome News!!

2009-10-13T21:00:00.001-05:00

I took Seneca to the arcade last night and she won 500 TICKETS!!! What did she win??? The Nobel Peace Prize.

Let's Share A Secret!

2009-07-31T09:59:00.003-05:00

Breading breading breading, more often than not, everyone has their own type of breading that they prefer. That standard personalized seasoned breading that nobody can steer us away from. Rock on! Here’s an idea to get you and your breading a little closer together and recycle!

So. You love your breading, can’t get enough of it, right? Every recipe that tells you how to make a breading you scoff, for you and you alone have the perfect seasoned breading.

But there’s a problem. Waste! You go through all that effort to make it just right every time (without the aid of a recipe, because, again, you made it up) and invariably you end up throwing some away, or not having enough, and the whole thing gets very frustrating. Halfway through breading pork chops, your hands are coated and sticky, there are four chops left, and the breading is gone . . . Don’t order pizza!!!

I have a solution!

Have you ever bought the cardboard flavored powdered parmesan cheese? Yeah, that one with the neat little dual speed top? Did you throw it away when it was empty? Do you get where I’m going with this . . .

The next time you have an empty container of parmesan cheese, don’t throw it away. Simply wash it out! Make a batch of your breading, and store it in the revamped parmesan container. You can even decorate it, if you’re feeling saucy. Go nuts with it! Save two or three of those handy little buggers and make a different flavored breading for each. Whenever a recipe calls for any type of breading, measure an equal part of yours and go to town.

You’ll thank me later (hopefully in the form of large stacks of non-sequential 20 dollar bills).

Recipe Rescue #4

2009-07-31T09:31:00.000-05:00

I am on a mission to sort through the veritable stock pile of recipes that occupies a drawer in my buffet. As I sort through the mess and convert them all to a nice and neat templated database I will take a select few and post them here. Wasting no time let's keep moving forward . . .

Sweet Potato Casserole 350° 20 minutes + 10
This is, quite possibly, the best Thanksgiving side dish known in the galaxy.

4 sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
6 oz. buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
bag mini marshmallows

Cook potatoes in oven or microwave, peel and place into large mixing bowl. Add all with the exception of marshmallows. Mix thoroughly and add to an attractive 13x9 baking dish. Bake for the first 20 minutes, then cover casserole with the marshmallows and bake for the final 10 minutes.
**reduce the fat** Yeah, right.

Recipe Rescue #3

2009-07-31T09:29:00.001-05:00

I am on a mission to sort through the veritable stock pile of recipes that occupies a drawer in my buffet. As I sort through the mess and convert them all to a nice and neat templated database I will take a select few and post them here. Wasting no time let's sally forth . . .

"Leeky" Potato Soup

If you have never worked with leeks before, I'm telling you now, wash those suckers very well.

6 potatoes diced and peeled
2 onions chopped
1 stalk celery
1 carrot sliced
1 leek diced
4 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes
1 bag bacon pieces
1 can (13 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
pepper to taste
chopped chives
finely chopped parsley

Crock pot - Add all ingredients (with the exception of the evaporated milk and chives) to a crock pot. Cook on low 10-12 hours, on high 3-4 hours. In the final hour of cooking, add evaporated milk. Serve, top with chives.
Stove top - Add all ingredients (with the exception of the evaporated milk and chives) to a stock pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are soft. Add evaporated milk and simmer additional 5-10 minutes. Serve, top with chives.
**assorted substitutions** replace carrot with baby carrots, replace water and bullion with reduced fat/low sodium chicken broth.

Recipe Rescue #2

2009-07-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

I am on a mission to sort through the veritable stock pile of recipes that occupies a drawer in my buffet. As I sort through the mess and convert them all to a nice and neat templated database I will take a select few and post them here. Wasting no time let's continue . . .

Garlic and Creamy Three Cheese Dip 350° 20 minutes

2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 packages cream cheese softened
2 cups grated asiago cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

In a mixer or processor, blend cream cheese, asiago cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and parsley. Pour into an attractive baking dish (as this will be your serving dish as well) and top with mozzarella. Bake as directed. Dip should be bubbly, top should be golden brown. Serve hot with garlic toast, crackers or a nice firm bread (crusty Italian).
**fat reduction** substitute neufchatel cheese for cream cheese, low/no fat sour cream, reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Recipe Rescue #1

2009-07-31T08:26:00.001-05:00

I am on a mission to sort through the veritable stock pile of recipes that occupies a drawer in my buffet. As I sort through the mess and convert them all to a nice and neat templated database I will take a select few and post them here. Wasting no time let's get started with my first selection . . .

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

1 head each broccoli and cauliflower
1 medium chopped onion
1 bag bacon pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, break up broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, discard stem. Add to broccoli and cauliflower - onion, bacon pieces and cheese. Combine sugar, mayonnaise and vinegar, pour over other ingredients. Chill and serve.
**time saver** broccoli and cauliflower florets are sold together by the bagged salads in the produce dept.**
**fat reducer** low/no fat mayonnaise, reduced fat cheese

Time Out, Injury on the Field.

2009-07-20T10:07:00.003-05:00

I psycho cleaned the front bathroom.

Up side.
It looks beautiful.
Down side.
I injured my back, once again, and can not walk much.
I am a stay at home mom with a 7 year old, 2 year old, and 2 month old.

Today is a reading day.

Ow.

Fickles Lot - Artists To Watch

2009-07-13T18:35:00.003-05:00

Power, energy, excitement, an insane amount of talent and an interactive stage presence filled with personality, Fickles Lot is definitely an artist to watch. Hailing from Ottawa, Illinois, this group is busy with recording, touring, writing, and rocking - leaving nobody unsatisfied.

I recently saw them in concert at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana (with my 7 year old daughter in tow for her first rock concert ever) and was thoroughly impressed. Nearly anyone can cut an album and sound good with the right amount of mixing, but it takes a special talent to hook an audience during a live performance, and Fickles Lot did not disappoint. Their stage presence and sound rival My Chemical Romance (one of this writer's favorite groups) as everyone feels that they are hearing and seeing the best the band has to offer.

You can (and should) learn about Fickles Lot and meet other "Lot Heads" like myself on MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/fickleslot) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fickles-Lot).

all photos copyright Wendy Spencer 2009.

Let's Talk About A Baby, A Toddler, and a Child.

2009-07-09T06:50:00.013-05:00

So, being a mother of three, naturally, I love talking about my children. And I intend on doing just that. Now.

Ronnie's tumultuous birth and disastrous three weeks following aside, he is the easiest baby I've ever come in contact with. I am not going to lie and say that he never cries, he does, very well, but I am referring to his needs as a whole. First, he's a boy, so even when facing the messiest diaper a child has ever created (the kind that makes even the most diaper hardened women gasp) everything is on top. There are no female crevices and canyons to contend with, and that is a wonderful and welcome repose. Now if only I could get Viviane potty trained and out of diapers wholly . . . too bold, too bold. Yes he is on a medication regimen, but it is exactly that, a regimen. He gets his dose of A,B,C, and D at x o'clock. It's not confusing, it is very straightforward. So, yes he has a shunt in his heart, yes he has DiGeorge Syndrome, but he is an alarmingly healthy and happy baby. As of now he is two months old and experiencing no developmental delays, and I am pleased. Growing up and even in to adulthood, my heroes were always the likes of Katharine Hepburn, and Satchmo Louis Armstrong. However, no matter how great they both were and are to me, neither has ever done anything as great and what my son has been through. So, my infant son has become my hero, and I hope that I can provide him with a life that he will be proud to have fought so hard to have.

Moving on to Viviane and her wily ways. Although she is not officially 2 as of yet, she has been practicing for a few months now, ensuring that in August she will be well prepared. And my what a precocious, no wait precious, no, both, child she is, indeed. She is trying very hard to figure out why I want her to wee and poo in a completely different way than she is accustomed. Every time she succeeds, her first action is to run to me and claim her hugs, kisses, and round of applause (and she gets them, every time). Her hero is her sister and she imitates everything she does. She still loves her time with Mommy above all else, though, which is adorable. She is at that age now where she has specific wants and will get them, regardless. So, it doesn't matter if Mommy is in the shower, if Viviane wants Mommy, she is going to find Mommy and be with her. What can I say, she makes me laugh. Her personality is developing as rapidly as her intelligence and speech, all of which are completely wonderful. Vivi has found that there are certain things that she can do that will cause everyone to laugh, and she does them often. Vivi has found that there are certain things that she can do that will cause everyone to panic, and she does them often. I am not sure why, but there is something about having a liquid in a cup that just irritates her. With each meal she is provided a plate or bowl of food, and a cup with some sort of libation, most often juice or milk. Perhaps she is trying to save time, perhaps she is trying to go green by saving one dish at a time, perhaps she is just a 2 year old hellbent on making her mother insane, but each and every time she received a cup she must quickly dump it onto what ever food she is eating. And it doesn't stop there, she must mix the food with the liquid well so that it is just the right consistency to turn everyone's stomach, apart from hers. She has an aversion to clothing and diapers, but only when they are on. She loves getting dressed and is very agreeable about having her diaper put on. From what I have seen, there must be something that happens within the first minute or so of having said clothing and diaper on, maybe an itchy tag or her reflection just seems off, but something just ruins it for her and all things concealing her nakedness must be removed and thrown, not placed and goodness not folded, but thrown, landing wherever they will. I have stopped fighting her about this and have merely imposed a new rule . . . all visitors must give me at least a half hour's notice. She is my tornado, and I love her dearly.

And what do I say about Seneca? My darling, dear Seneca. There are countless amounts of things about her that are wonderful, hilarious, frightening, and beautiful, she is my . . . I can't even find a word for it, but the past 7 years with her have helped mold me and shape her into a dynamic duo the world has never seen before. We are very close yet she has no conflicts viewing me as both buddy and parent. I have her respect because I have earned it, and the same goes for her love and admiration. She tends to get daring with her mouth when talking to Robert, which is natural for a child of mine to feel the need to assert themselves to those that are bigger, and I imagine it feels good to loosen the tongue, but now I have to help her find an outlet for her premature sarcasm as it is lost on his ears. Home schooling and Seneca are a perfect match and she is thriving and flourishing in ways that I never thought probable. She is merely 7, a would be 2nd grader come fall, yet she has nearly completed 3rd grade mathematics and is reading on the same grade level. Academically she is facing no challenges, but personally she is very hard on herself, a characteristic she inherited from myself. If she makes a mistake she chastises herself and it upsets me, and worries me as that level of self criticism at such an early age can blossom into something darker as she grows . . . I should know. She is highly competitive, yet not very skilled when it comes to athletics. However, she is developing some skills with a baseball bat and glove and wants to join a team in the spring. She also wants to join a swimming team and wavers between the two often. Her grasp of language is music to my ears, and my constant correcting her "me and Vivi's" has resulted in the melodic "Vivi and I." She is extraordinarily intelligent, very funny, a joy to converse with, gorgeous to look upon, and a general pleasure to have around. Again I find myself mired in emotions when it comes to my eldest, she is not what I expected nor ever dared hope for. Yesterday at the library, Seneca and I each chose a book, and sat together and read for about a half hour. I chose From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Seneca chose a book that illustrates nearly 100 Chinese characters, the name of which escapes me. While reading together, a woman walked past with a large group of very unruly children, and she cast a harried glance my way and proclaimed to her brood "look at that little girl, why she can't be a day older than any of you and look at her, just sitting quietly reading with her mama. Why can't you be more like her?" I had to giggle, and Seneca's pink cheeks illustrated her embarrassed flattery. She is an extraordinarily well behaved child, but it causes her a few problems. She finds children her age boorish and uninteresting, and she gravitates toward older children with whom she has more in common, or younger children whom she simply enjoys their speech and mannerisms. She has been teased because she is not understood, and immature people always ostracize that to which they cannot relate. Most of her friends are at least two years older than she. Seneca is my best friend and I am extraordinarily lucky to have her and her siblings in my life.

Film Discussions #1 Film Noir

2009-07-07T10:18:00.004-05:00

High heels clicking on the wet pavement, a private eye - embittered by the cards life has dealt him - his face shadowed by the venetian blinds on his window, murder and moral ambiguity so thick you can cut it with a knife . . . aah, you're watching a classic film noir.

The name film noir refers to a specific type of film which really didn't show up on the screens until the 1940s, one could argue that the very first noir(ish) film was M, released in 1931 and directed by Fritz Lang. This film marks Peter Lorre's first starring role, who later became a staple of the classic noirs.

Peter Loree as Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang's M

The film noir look is very much taken from German Expressionism, which was popular in the very early 1900s. To be very specific, film noir, although a French phrase, is so very deeply influenced by German/Viennese directors and techniques that it could arguably go by the name Schwarzer Film, but let's face it, film noir sounds much better. Now, the intro above is very stereotypical, but there is a check list of things to look for in a film noir. Knowing these can also help you recognize a director who is influenced by this genre in modern films.

The (classic) Film Noir Checklist

VISUAL KEYS
black and white (obviously)
Low-key lighting
dramatic use of shadows/silhouettes (i.e. the blinds casting a shadow on an actor)
Dutch angles (camera tilted at an obscure angle to insinuate tension or unease)
use of mirrors, glass, or reflective objects to show characters (example - the murder of Muriel in Strangers on a Train)

an example of Dutch angle filming.

STRUCTURE
convoluted story lines (flashbacks and forwards used to disrupt the flow of the story)
narration usually by the protagonist
experimentation in structure (Sunset Boulevard - story is told by a dead man. Lady in the Lake - shot entirely from Philip Marlowe's point of view)

Strangulation scene from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

PLOT/CHARACTERS
first and foremost a crime of some sort, most typically murder
the investigation of said crime by a seedy private eye or renegade police detective
a motive of greed or jealousy
moral ambiguity usually involving theft or adultery and seduction
double crossing and false accusations
CIGARETTE SMOKING!!
protagonist is usually very flawed (the beginning of the Antihero) and
as mentioned above embittered

The "venetian blinds casting a shadow on the face" very classic noir technique.

SETTING
usually set in one of four cities - Chicago, New York, LA, or San Francisco
setting is presented rather labyrinthine or maze like
gambling spots, clubs, lounges and bars are often used
the climax most likely takes place in a complex and industrial setting (factory, train yard etc)
look for many night time shots and frequent rain

In general, you get the feel of pessimism.

another example of the creative use of shadows.

So, we've gone through our check list, now let's talk about some of the great faces and films of this excellent genre.

Jay Adler - The Big Combo (1955)
Dana Andrews - Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Mary Astor - The Maltese Falcon (1941) also known as The Cameo Girl
Lauren Bacall - Key Largo (1948) Dark Passage (1947)
William Bendix - The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Humphrey Bogart - The Maltese Falcon (1941) Dark Passage (1947) Dead Reckoning (1947) (essentially any film Bogey had a role in during the 1940s is a film noir)
James Cagney - appeared and starred in films that brought about the film noir period - such as The Public Enemy (1931), and Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) then White Heat (1949) and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
Joseph Cotten - The Third Man (1949) Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Joan Crawford - The Damned Don't Cry (1950) Possessed (1947) Mildred Pierce (1945)
Tony Curtis - Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949) Criss Cross (1949) The Lady Gambles (1949)
Bette Davis - Another Man's Poison (1951) Deception (1946)
Kirk Douglas - Detective Story (1951) Ace in the Hole (1951) I Walk Alone (1948)
Glenn Ford - Affair in Trinidad (1950) Convicted (1950) Gilda (1946)
Ava Gardner - The Bribe (1949) The Killers (1946)
Sydney Greenstreet - a slew! including Ruthless (1948)The Verdict (1946) Conflict (1945) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rita Hayworth - Affair in Trinidad (1952) Gilda (1946)
William Holden - Union Station (1950) Sunset Boulevard (1950) The Dark Past (1948)
Veronica Lake - The Blue Dahlia (1946) The Glass Key (1942) This Gun For Hire (1942)
Burt Lancaster - a slew! including Cris Cross (1949) I Walk Alone (1948) Brute Force (1947) The Killers (1946)
Janet Leigh - Rogue Cop (1954)
Peter Lorre - M (1931) and a slew of films in the 1940s including The Verdict/The Chase/Black Angel (all from 1946) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Ida Lupino - While the City Sleeps (1956)
Robert Mitchum - Night of the Hunter (1955) His Kind of Woman (1951) The Big Steal (1949) Undercurrent (1946)
Dennis O'Keefe - Woman on the Run (1950) Abandoned (1949)
Dick Powell - Cry Danger (1951) Pitfall (1948) Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Vincent Price - Las Vegas Story (1952) His Kind of Woman (1951) The Web (1947)
Claude Raines - The Unsuspected (1947) Deception (1946) Notorious (1946)
Edward G. Robinson - Black Tuesday (1954) and nearly every film he had a role in during the 1940s - Key Largo (1948) The Red House (1947) The Woman in the Window (1944) Double Indemnity (1944)
Ann Sheridan - The Unfaithful (1947)
Barbara Stanwyck - Double Indemnity (1944)
Gloria Swanson - Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Robert Taylor - Rogue Cop (1954) Undercurrent (1946) Johnny Eager (1942)
Orson Welles - The Third Man (1949) Tomorrow is Forever (1946)
Shelley Winters - I Died A Thousand Times (1955) The Night of the Hunter (1955) Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)

One thing that I will stress about this genre, in closing, it is not the happy ending type of film and redemption is uncommon. But if you want a film that focuses on the seedy underbelly of society, this is the genre for you.

I recommend - Murder, My Sweet, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Key Largo, Gilda, Mildred Pierce, The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon

Great shot from The Big Sleep.

2009-05-05T11:08:00.008-05:00

Ronald Harper Spencer

born by emergency cesarean on April 26th, 2009

diagnosed with Interrupted Aortic Arch and Ventricular Septal Defect.

Open heart surgery - Norwood procedure

performed April 29th, 2009

His recovery is going very well, we are amazed by our beautiful baby boy. Ronnie's chest was closed May 4th, he is starting his feeding tube today, May 5th. Tomorrow he is being extubated.

I am so amazed by my baby boy. He is so strong, and so brave. He gets a little better with each passing day.

Excuses, by Google (cross posted on FaceBook)

2009-03-25T15:12:00.001-05:00

I decided to google the phrase "I can't because," and see what interesting excuses I could come up with to get out of random invites and obligations that I'm just not up for.

I'd like to share my findings with you, hopefully you will be able to put some of these to good use and weasel your way out of things!

I can't because I'm pregnant.

I can't because I'm outside the UK.

I can't because of what happened in school today.

I can't because I don't.

I can't because the system is showing an access error.

I can't because of data protection.

I can't because apparently we need to be able to burn in DAO96 mode, as opposed to DAO.

I can't because I am outnumbered.

I can't because I only have a 64 bit unit.

**I hope these help you in your ventures, however I am not liable for any consequences that will most likely arise from the use of any of these!**