Category Archives: Fun Stuff

Hello, Kitty! Come Read With Us

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Today all cat lovers and anyone interested in justice–even on a small animal scale–will be happy to hear that Browser the Library Cat will stay on the job. Browser has been at the White Settlement Library for six years. He’s a fixture there and his story has become big news.

So here’s the good news for the day. I’m sure there are more great stories out there, but I’m a cat lover and am happy for the library, its visitors and especially for Browser.

Here’s an excerpt from NPR’s story:

“Why the city council of White Settlement, Texas, decided to fire Browser, mascot and rodent hunter of the public library is not clear, but the vote two weeks ago was 2-1 to banish Browser. Friday, under an avalanche of complaints, the council members decided unanimously that Browser could stay.

Browser got his job six years ago when the library had a problem with rodents. By all accounts, he was a big success and nestled into library-goers hearts.”

browser the cat

Happiness Challenge 101

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Recently a fellow blogger, StephJ, invited me to take part in a blogging challenge–”Happiness: 101 Simple Things.” I’m probably way behind everyone else who participated. Anyway, here’s my list. My life is more or less a joyful one. Here and there, I can identify things that make me happy too.

How about you? Maybe some of the things on my list make you happy too. So-called simple things count. In fact, it’s probably the simple things that make happiness go on and on. They’re usually low-cost as well.

101 Things That Make Me Happy

  1. Knowing I can be happy
  2. Belonging to a church community
  3. Serving others
  4. Hearing my son’s deep bass chuckle
  5. Watching my granddaughter dance
  6. Drinking a hot cup of tea
  7. Telling a joke well
  8. Laughing when someone tells a good joke
  9. Fresh sheets on the bed
  10. Being satisfied with what I have
  11. Farmer’s markets
  12. Eating dark chocolate
  13. Being in the groove when writing
  14. Reading the start of a new bookchocolate covered cherries
  15. Thunderstorms
  16. Experimenting with recipes
  17. When the recipe turns out
  18. Baking just about anything
  19. A good chick flick
  20. Drinking strong coffee
  21. The smell of coffee brewing
  22. Cuddling with my bunny
  23. Watching my bunny hop and run fast
  24. Receiving personal mail. You know, a card or letter
  25. Stargazing
  26. The scent of fresh-mown grass
  27. Watching fireflies in the dark
  28. Browsing bookstores
  29. Browsing office supply stores
  30. Picking out just the right card for someone
  31. Receiving a card that’s just right for me
  32. Swimming leisurely
  33. Playing Scrabble
  34. Playing euchre
  35. Wearing cool bracelets
  36. Wearing all kinds of earrings
  37. Getting a good haircut
  38. Reading my Bible
  39. That ozone smell after the rain
  40. When the movie comes out so close to the book
  41. Eating a quality steak cooked just right
  42. Waking up without pain
  43. Watching a herd of deer in a field
  44. Watching wild turkeys cross the road
  45. Discovering a new show on Netflix
  46. Discovering a good foreign film
  47. Recycling all that I can
  48. Watching a well-done documentary
  49. The smell of a quality lotion on my skin
  50. Sincere hugswolfgang-amadeus-mozart
  51. Listening to music by Mozart
  52. Discovering a new musician whose music I like
  53. Sleeping in when I can
  54. Naps on Sunday after church
  55. Watching my blue betta swim around in his bowl
  56. Learning something new
  57. A cuddly sweater
  58. Things being in order
  59. Snagging a great photo
  60. Singing
  61. The sound of my mantel clock chiming
  62. Campfires
  63. S’mores at the campfire
  64. All my nails the same length
  65. My nails painted with no mistakes
  66. 75-degree weather with no humidity
  67. Worshiping God through prayer
  68. Going to a classical music concert
  69. Listening to “Carmina Burana”
  70. String quartets
  71. Carrying a cloth handkerchief in my purse
  72. Being within budget
  73. Increasing my vocabulary
  74. Watching blue herons
  75. Wearing my multi-colored animal print dress
  76. The sight of storm clouds rolling in
  77. Watching bats circle overhead
  78. Finding a bargain
  79. When the bargain is something I need
  80. Writing with a pen that feels good in my hand
  81. Using doilies
  82. Listening to the Detroit Tigers on the radio
  83. Watching the Tigers play at Comerica ParkComerica scoreboard
  84. A successful workout
  85. Employing active verbs in my writing
  86. Finishing a long book
  87. When a book has a satisfying end
  88. Someone returning a smile
  89. When an editor says, “Yes”
  90. The availability of subtitles in a DVD movie “setup”
  91. Journaling
  92. Meeting with my mentor
  93. Solitude and silence when I need it
  94. My grandson’s youthful wisdom
  95. “Reunions” resulting from Facebook connections
  96. My general practitioner’s sense of humor
  97. Entertaining friends in my home
  98. Going to the movies with Gina
  99. Shopping at the thrift store with my sister
  100. Hearing children giggle, especially babies
  101. Knowing my eternal destiny is secure

laughin w toddler

 

 

 

 

 

 

101 simple things that make me happy is a long list, but I could probably think of more. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. I enjoy many things. Let me know in your comments what makes you happy.

That would make me happy today.

And remember to be a blessing to someone today.

A Visit to Zootopia

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Released in theaters March 2016, Zootopia is now on DVD. I have to say if you didn’t catch it at the theater, you must see it now.

Zootopia is smart, funny, and full of color. That’s typical of Disney movies. We can also expect endearing characters, a great plot, and a moral to the story.

Zootopia brings it home in all respects.

A cute little bunny, Judy Hopps, is determined “to make the world a better place” by becoming the first rabbit police officer. Her parents prefer she stay at home with her 275 brothers and sisters living a risk-free life. But carrot farming isn’t in the stars for Judy and she knows it.

She attends Zootopia Police Academy and, although she graduated at the top of her class, is assigned to ticketing cars at expired parking meters.

Zootopia police have been stymied by 14 cases of missing predators. When an otter goes missing, Judy convinces Chief Bogo she can solve it. Bogo gives her 48 hours.

Judy decides to enlist the help of Nick Wilde, a fox who lives up to the stereotype. He’s clever and sassy. Judy uses Nick’s shady practices to trick him into assisting her and the story begins to unfold as a true detective tale.

Rabbit and fox are fortunate enough to discover a license plate number in the sketchy file Judy’s been given. That plate number leads them to the DMV where Nick has a friend, Flash, who proves a big help. But Flash, like his co-workers, is a sloth.

Uh-oh.at the DMV

For anyone who’s waited at the DMV, you’ll relate. Nick and Judy get to the counter immediately. But…er…you’ll love the sloths. Watch Judy be her usual upbeat self. Watch Nick bait Flash into a conversation. Watch Flash finish a sentence. Watch Judy lose her cool. Watch Nick’s smug expression.

The plate number results in an address which leads the duo to the naturalists. The naturalists give them enough information to take them to Mr. Big. He has enough information to lead them to a place where they hear about night howlers. Wolves?

In their search for the missing otter, Judy and Nick play the roles of detective with everything they have in them. Judy proves she’s not a “dumb bunny.” Nick’s foxiness comes in handy, but he also begins to soften. They form a bond that could only happen in Zootopia, where predator and prey can live in harmony.

Zootopia includes the dense, color-rich scenes you expect of Disney Studios. The soundtrack is amazing. As usual, there’s visual humor and lines that kids probably won’t understand. (Think: Pixar’s Toy Story trilogy.) But that’s okay. Disney knows it’s the parents who bring the kids.

In the end, Zootopia shows us that we need friends who are loyal and always believe in us. We see that we can live in harmony with those who are different if all parties are willing to work together. Disney does it all so well. It’s a movie you’ll want to own so you can watch it whenever you need to see a great story told well. Or just for the laughs after a rough day.

One critic’s review named it “the best Disney movie in 20 years.” So hurry to the store and buy your copy.

Because you must see Zootopia now.

Mr Big

For parents: Zootopia is rated PG-13 for thematic material (animal violence), action scenes and some crude humor.

Storefront Churches

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Recently, while driving on a remote street in my fair city, I had the opportunity to see a sign outside a church declaring what I’d hoped to see on a church sign for a long time.

“Jesus Is Lord”

Convinced (by people better than me) that a church sign’s purpose is for outreach, I still believe a statement as simple and true as that one indicates where that church’s heart stands. In fact, an auto shop where I have work done on my van boasts this same statement on its sign out front.

Years ago, I saw the movie “Because of Winn-Dixie” at the theater. The film is adapted from the children’s story of the same name. A 10-year-old girl moves yet again to a new town with her father, a preacher. The story is funny, touching and full of wisdom.

The preacher and his small congregation meet in what used to be a convenience store, the Pick-it-Quick. Early on in the movie, Preacher is trying to make a joke about their location to keep things light (tough crowd) and says, “I don’t see anything wrong with making church convenient.”

winn-dixie-at-churchI’m familiar with churches meeting in places other than a traditional church building. And while it’s great to have a nice building in which to meet, I don’t think God cares as much what the building looks like as what our hearts look like.

Imagine some church signs or slogans for churches that meet in former businesses. No irreverence meant here. We can take God seriously and still have fun. But fair warning: I used to be in advertising and I enjoy good puns.

  • Laundromat: “You can be washed whiter than snow”
  • Library: “Lending a good word”
  • Insurance Sales Office: “The Gospel is our strongest claim”
  • Grocery Store: “Hungry for something more?”
  • Beauty Shop: “You can leave here a new creation”
  • Hardware Store: “New tools for living found here”
  • Music Shop: “We sing God’s praises”
  • Book Store: “Come curl up with the Good Book”
  • Video Rentals: “Rated F for Families”
  • Dollar Store: “More than you bargained for”
  • Cell Phone Service: “Get connected with God”
  • Used Car Lot: “Turning lemons into lemonade”
  • Secretary of State: “Get your license to thrive here”
  • Gym: “Helping you jump-start your spiritual fitness”
  • Medical Office: “Healing hearts is God’s specialty”
  • Dentist’s Office: “For a message with some teeth to it”
  • Optometrist’s Office: “Your eyes will see the glory”
  • Office Supply Store: “Loving people file in here every week”
  • Furniture Store: “We have a chair just for you”
  • Coffee Shop: “Enjoy our unique blend of truth and grace”
  • Computer Store: “The only software needed is an open heart”
  • Restaurant: “Taste and see that the Lord is good”

Outreach? Hmm.

We can meet with God anywhere. Our hearts are His favorite place to meet us. The sign we can put out front is a simple “Welcome.”

Nothing silly about that.

Fur Ball Friday

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Today is supposed to be when I post my Foodie information. A fun or informative post about eating and cooking.

But

A fellow blogger, Genie, of BunnyEatsDesign has a bunny who looks a lot like my little Scout. Today she gets to see him just like I’ve checked out pictures of her little guy, Tofu, on her site. Go check her out here. 

Click on “Bunnies” at the top of the page to see posts about Tofu. She offers some great recipes with accompanying photographs she takes herself.

Hug your furry friend today and eat hardy!

Foodie and Herb Part 2

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In “Foodie and Herb” a couple weeks ago, we talked about how to enhance some different meats with herbs and spices. Maybe you’ve already begun to experiment.

This week, Foodie give some ways to enhance seafood, pasta and vegetables.

When working with pasta, you can add new twists to familiar tastes. For instance, using ground nutmeg smooths out the flavor of Alfredo sauce. Ground mustard, rosemary, parsley and black pepper go well with savory mushroom sauces. Sprinkle tarragon over a primavera recipe. Thyme, rosemary, oregano leave, garlic powder and black pepper are good with any pasta salad recipe.

Italian seasoning, basil, crushed red pepper, garlic and onion powders and oregano give hearty flavor to pasta soups, stews, and casseroles.

The variety of pasta lend themselves differently to which sauces you use. Capellini, angel hair, fettucine, linguini and spaghetti work the best with smooth, thin sauces or sauces with chopped ingredients. Shaped pasta like mostaccioli, penne, rotelle, rotini and ziti are best used with chunky and heavier sauces. Large shells and manicotti lend themselves well to being stuffed with a hearty red sauce or cheese sauce.

If you’ve never tried making your own pesto sauce, try this recipe which is easy and goes well with those finer pastas like angel hair, fettucine, linguini and spaghetti.

Whether your vegetable dish is a salad or you’re dressing up baked or steamed veggies, herbs will prove a welcome addition. Potato salads, green salads, vegetable salads perk up with dill week, celery salt, paprika, and white or black pepper.

For a new sensation, use lemon pepper seasoning on green leafy vegetables like salad greens, spinach, kale, mustard, collard or mustard greens.

Season corn, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash with ginger, cardamom, dill weed, chives, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mace, marjoram, or thyme.

When it comes to fish, they fall into categories of mild, moderate and full flavors like other meats. For delicately flavored fish like flounder, sole, orange roughy, or trout, enhance them with thyme, tarragon, dill weed, garlic powder, oregano or white or black pepper. The moderate flavors of salmon, snapper, catfish and rockfish peak up with dill weed, Italian seasoning, tarragon, lemon and pepper seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, or pepper. Tuna and swordfish are full-flavored fish. They wake up to the addition of basil, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, garlic powder, and red or black pepper.

In cooking shrimp or scallops or for creating any seafood recipe, try tarragon, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, lemon pepper, red or black pepper or parsley. Whether steaming crabs or broiling lobster, the unique flavors of dry mustard, red pepper, lemon pepper and chives work well.

Substitutions are helpful to know when you’re out of something fresh and something from your cupboard is handy. For 1 medium -size onion, use 1 tablespoon onion powder. One eighth teaspoon garlic powder or half teaspoon garlic salt substitutes for 1 medium clove of garlic. Substitute one fourth teaspoon ginger for 1 teaspoon fresh ginger. For 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs.

Remember to have fun while you navigate the kitchen. You might even decide you’d like to start your own herb garden. Then you’ll really be a Foodie!

 

 

 

 

Foodie And Herb

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Something great happened the day I decided to be brave and begin experimenting with herbs and spices. I still use recipes, especially for baking. But cooking “by guess and by golly” is generally pretty much how I do it. Now I enjoy cooking much more. I also enjoy the results much more.

I never make my famous spaghetti sauce the same way twice. I may be using the same herbs, but never in the same amounts, and it always turns out tasty. When I don’t have a specific herb or spice, I often find I can substitute.

However, knowing a little about which spices and herbs work well with different foods can help. It can also be a boon to have some spice blends on hand to use so you don’t have to buy those small bottles with cranked up cost.

Add These to This to Get That

To enhance the flavor of beef, use bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, lemon pepper seasoning, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, or thyme.

When cooking with pork, which has a mild flavor, give it some oomph with basil, caraway seed, ground ginger, Italian seasoning, oregano, savory, rosemary, or garlic powder.

Where I live, we eat wild game. Enhance those flavors with marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, garlic powder, or onion powder.

Turkey is traditionally flavored with poultry seasoning or sage, but you can also try oregano, black pepper, herbs de Provence, onion powder, rosemary savory, or basil.Garlic and Herb Lemon Chicken

Chicken and Cornish hens come alive with such herbs as dill weed, basil, ginger, oregano, thyme, chives, bay leaf, garlic and onion powders, paprika, rosemary, sage, or tarragon.

 

Make Your Own Seasoning Blends

If you need a little jump start to try some new herbs, here are a few blends you can mix up to experiment with.

Salad herb blend: 2 tsp. basil leaves; 1 tsp. dill weed; 1 tbsp. marjoram leaves; 1 tbsp. parsley flakes; 1 tbsp. tarragon leaves. If you like to add protein to your salad, match these ingredients to the list of which goes best with each herb.

Meat and vegetable blend: 1 tbsp. basil; 1 tsp. celery seed; 1 tbsp. marjoram; 1 tsp. onion powder; 1 tsp. thyme.

Taco seasoning: 1 ½ tbsp. oregano; 1 ½ tbsp. garlic powder; 1 tbsp. paprika; 2 tbsp. cumin; 1 tbsp. chili powder; ½ tsp. allspice.chicken taco

Don’t be afraid to experiment and tweak the blends to your own taste. There’s no right or wrong combination. An advantage to using herbs and blends is that you can spice up your food without using salt.

What’s That Flavor?

Herbs have different flavors, naturally. In addition, they fall into categories of mild, medium and robust. Chives and parsley are examples of mild-flavored herbs. Some medium-flavored herbs are basil, dill weed, marjoram, and mint. Stronger-tasting herbs are those like bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, and thyme.

Tips for Keeping Herbs and Spices Fresh

Avoid storing spices near the stove, dishwasher, sink or a window. Dried spices don’t spoil, but they can lose strength. Moisture and heat contribute to this. Be sure to never sprinkle or pour spices directly into a steaming pot since the steam introduced into the bottle hastens loss of flavor and aroma. It also results in caking. For the same reason, if you’re measuring from the bottle with a measuring spoon, be sure the spoon is dry.

Some folks like to use fresh herbs for everything and that’s a great idea. You can always substitute dried herbs for fresh if you know how, and vice-versa. Check it out here.

Next week, Foodie meets herb in part 2 to talk about how to enhance other foods (pasta, vegetables and seafood), helpful substitutions, cooking tips, and a recipe or two.

Bon appetite!

Foodie Redux

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It won’t be long and my movie buddy will be gone. She’s moving to sunny Florida and I’ll remain here in the Midwest. I will miss her. She and I have similar tastes in movies and books. We both like to play Scrabble and we both can talk a mile a minute.

godzilla-mst3k

Today’s Foodie post is re-blogged for Gina, my movie buddy, and a tribute to that quintessential concession stand treat: popcorn.

 

“I Can Hear It Now”

Popcorn is a snack food that has been compared to social media. I suppose it’s true; the more generous you are with it, the more people you attract.

When you think of popcorn, do you think of

a) Jiffy Pop
b) Microwaved
c) Theater-popped
d) Air-popped
e) All of the above

When popcorn pops, it creates not just a sound in the ear, but an aroma in the nose. The unique treat in your hand belies the soft crunch you’re about to feel between your teeth (and the nasty hulls stuck there later on). Popcorn is a sensual experience only the eater can describe.

I come from the era of Jiffy Pop, but my family could neither afford it nor would one package have fed our large family. We popped our kernels from a bag the old fashioned way.

f) In a pan on top of the stove

My earliest association of popcorn involves Mom serving up the surprise, usually on a Saturday night. The seven of us–Dad and we six kids–would be sitting in the living room watching TV when, all of a sudden, “It” would begin.

Pop! Pop! Pop! POP-POP-POP! POP-POP-POP-POPPITY-POP! An unmistakable sound, those kernels hitting the lid of a pan. Mom couldn’t hide now what she was up to. And inevitably, one of us would hurry to the kitchen to confirm and report back, “We’re having popcorn!”

By then, the aroma of those tiny popping kernels wafted through the house; we needed no one to tell us. Imagine six kids full of anticipation for a rare treat. Then Mom came first with a bowl for Dad and, in turns, a bowl for each of us children. She’d give the popping another go because one pan didn’t feed everyone.

I confess that I can eat popcorn until it’s coming out of my ears (pun intended). At a movie theater, I’ve actually had friends with whom I’m attending keep tabs on me. Or talk me down from the ledge of even getting in line to purchase a bushel basket of it.popcorn 2

Whew, I just walk in the door and I’m a theater popcorn junkie. How can those youngsters at the concession stand possibly feel good about trafficking refills for a paltry fifty cents? Dripping with butter, for me, it’s a cross between Mom’s love served in a bowl and Paula Dean’s favorite recipe.*

Now, just in time for my blog post–I’ve wanted to write about popcorn for a couple weeks–the New York Times publishes an article about scientists “discovering” the mechanics of popcorn popping. Is this really news? Did no one ever figure this out before?

As if the average kid about to get a bowl of air-popped, Jiffy Popped, microwaved, or theater popcorn cared. **

At heart, I’m a kid when it comes to popcorn. It reminds me of sitting with my sibs and the folks watching the boob tube. That truly felt like family time. I didn’t need bowl after bowl of it to enjoy it. I didn’t need the buttery-flavored junk on top or the special toppings they offer these days. It didn’t have to come quickly like microwaved popcorn.

The sound and the scent were enough. And Mom knowing just when it was a good night to treat us. That’s another sensual experience, I suppose. One that evokes pleasure in my heart.

Somewhere, kids must still be sitting in living rooms listening to the poppity-pop out in the kitchen while Mom prepares to serve up a little fun and love. I know this because I see that popcorn can still be found in kernel form on supermarket shelves; the kind you have to pop without a microwave.

But if you’re interested in microwaving without buying the commercial microwave brands, here’s a great article with tips for just that.

Why not pick up some popcorn–your choice–this weekend and enjoy the treat with your family? Don’t forget the dental floss.

*I realize that’s not real butter, only some buttery-flavored concoction but still…
** Actually, my geeky grandson would probably love to study the principles of corn popping.

(Late) Great Comebacks

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Tell a story. People love stories. We can all identify with stories like this one: “Why didn’t I say…?”

One day, while using the computer at the local library to work on the internet, I nibbled almonds from a snack-sized zipper bag. It was the rest of my lunch, which I’d been eating on the run.

Our library–both branches–hires Library Police, security guards who cruise around trying to catch anyone not following rules. (Whatever those are.)

There were three or four almonds left in the bag when Mr. Library Policeman came up behind me and said in a soft voice, “Ma’am, there’s no eating in the library.”

My problems with authority are diminishing, so I put the almonds in my purse instead of saying what I wanted to say: “Well, apparently there is because I’m doing it.”

As I walked out of the branch library that day, it occurred to me that perhaps I could have made Mr. Library Police (that guy who has a grim face at all times) smile if I’d said,

“Oh, nuts!”