~ WACKY WEDNESDAY ~ July 1, 2015 ~ (Previously entitled QOT...W) ~ "The Animal Kingdom" ~

~ WACKY WEDNESDAY ~ July 1, 2015 ~ (Previously entitled QOT...W) ~ "The Animal Kingdom" ~ Ok, so it's 2:15am, I'm heading outside for my last smoke before trying to go back to bed (which I've been trying to do literally ALL day because I'm in the middle of yet another pretty rough pain day AND massive migraine).

I've got my book, "The Essence", 2nd in "The Pledge" series by a new favourite author, Kimberly Derting. (I just finished reading the first two books in her "The Taking" series and loved them)! I also plan on reading her other series, "The Body Finder" too, as soon as I'm done this series.

I've got my cushion, smoke and lighter. As I sit down on the stoop of the back door, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a slight movement half way up the dining room window that overlooks our back deck.

At first I thought it was just another moth, of which there are many because of the outside light that I've turned on so that I can see to read. At least it's late (early?) enough that the mosquitoes aren't out in droves, looking to cart me away.

I think that I somehow knew that what I could see in my peripheral vision was far too big to be a moth, but terrified that it might be a spider, I couldn't look directly at it to confirm what it was.

Finally, my fear got the better of me. Not wanting to sit there and wonder "when" this huge, maybe-spider might leap on top of my head, I turned my head and squinted my eyes shut tight. (I really, really didn't want it to turn out to be a spider)!! 

I slowly opened one eye (of course, I picked my right eye, which was furthest away from the window) and couldn't see a gosh darn thing. I am absolutely terrified of spiders (see my "Flashback Friday" post dated November 28, 2014, entitled "Spiders ~ A Tale of Terror), so I took my time squeezing my eyes shut tight again. 

I ever so slowly pried open my left eye, and hiding half of my face with my book, (I know from experience that if aimed properly, a good book CAN squash a spider, I'm just hoping that if I have to throw the book, it doesn't break the window!). I almost peed my pants in relief to see a frog/toad clinging to our window.

Many times we have often found teeny, tiny frogs/toads on our back door, which is made of glass. They were not much bigger than the pads of my thumbs. This frog however, was as big as my fist!

I didn't get much reading on that trip outside. I kept glancing over as the frog/toad creeped slowly up the window.

The next time that I went outside, around 3:30am (of course I was too worked up thinking it might have been a spider that I couldn't fall asleep even if I tried), the frog/toad was gone.

I have absolutely no idea how they get up to our back door and windows. (Yeah, I know, frogs can hop, DUH). But I am still curious as to how they make it all the way up the stairs and in this case, up over 3 feet of siding before reaching the window.

I'm pretty sure I was at least a little more comfortable when I knew where the frog/toad was than not knowing!

#WackyWednesday, #Quirky, #Odd, #Interesting, #Bizarre, #Weird, #Wonderful, #Strange, #WhatTheWhat, #AnimalKingdom, #Smoke, #Bed, #Insomnia, #ChronicPain, #Migraine, #Books, #Reading, #KimberlyDerting, #ThePledge, #TheTaking, #TheBodyFinder, #Animals, #Moth, #Spider, #Frog, #Toad, #WhereDidItGo, #Terrified

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ July 7, 2015 ~ THOSE PESKY MOSQUITOES ~

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ July 7, 2015 ~ THOSE PESKY MOSQUITOES ~ I think that aside from spiders and June Bugs, mosquitoes are my least favourite insect!! As much as I cannot for the life of me figure out what purpose June Bugs have, I am equally as baffled as to why there are mosquitoes.

I would also like to know what it is about me that always makes me the ONE person in the crowd that mosquitoes flock to like flies to honey. I know that it is in part genetic, and can also pertain to my blood type (I'm A+) and that it also has something to do with how much carbon dioxide I exude, but that is the extent of my knowledge.

I like to joke that I'm just so sweet that they can't resist, but I'm pretty sure that my cheery dispostiion really has nothing to do with it.

I am currently sufferring from menopausal hot flashes and assume that may have something to do with my attractiveness to mosquitoes since they are attracted to the lactic acid in sweat. 

They are also attracted to smelly feet and I am so glad that I don't fall into that category because the mosquitoes that are attracted to germs that live between our toes and cause foot odor, are the same mosquitoes that carry and spread malaria!!

Mosquitoes have been around for 170 million years and of the 175 known species, only the females mosquitoes bite. I suppose (if only they didn't bite me so much) I could see that there is some level of karmic payback in that it is the females that cause all the trouble (also thinking about the Black Widow Spider). Kind of makes up for all that women have to suffer through that men do not. But alas, even the female mosquito will bite her own human-gendered counterpart. And contrary to old wives tales and urban legends, eating garlic and/or overdosing on Vitamin B supplements will not deter the hungry female mosquito from going after you.

The only tried and true method of repelling mosquitoes, is using a bug spray that contains deet. It has even been proven effective for protecting children as young as 2 months old. Initially it was thought that deet was harmful to children but studies have shown that as little as 2% deet is safe and effective for babies 2 months old and older.

So, gauge your exposure needs, (are you crocodile hunting in swampy wetland marshes, picnicing in your backyard or hanging out in the summer cottage that has had the door opened a few too many times?), select your favourite insect repellant, (I'd probably go with Muskoil for the gator trapping ~ and since mosquitoes seem to love me so much, I may just use the heavy-duty stuff all the time ~ but for most of you, a noname brand from your favourite drug store should suffice just fine for any backyard bbq), tell the mosquitoes to "bug off" (pun intended) get out there and enjoy the summer! 

#TickedOffTuesday, #WhatIrksMeMost, #PetPeeve, #UGH, #ARRGHH, Orcanut, #Mosquitoes, #Insects, #Pests, #LikeFliesToHoney, #Genetics, #BloodTypes, #CarbonDioxide, #CheeryDisposition, #Menopause, #HotFlashes, #LacticAcid, #Sweat, #FootOdor, #Malaria, #175MosquitoSpecies, #OnlyFemaleMosquitoesBite, #Karma, #InsectRepellant, #Deet, #MuskOil, #StoreBrands, #CrocodileHunting, #BackyardBBQ, #BugOff

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 10, 2015 ~ "A MOTHER'S TEARS" ~

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 10, 2015 ~ "A MOTHER'S TEARS" ~ I am just now getting caught up posting my various "columns" that I was unable to post over the past few weeks. Although I did struggle a little bit with writers block, the real reason I was unable to post "Ticked Off Tuesday", "Wacky Wednesday" (formerly "QOT...W"), and "Flashback Friday" recently is because I do all of my work on an iPad and unfortunately, that iPad belongs to my son and he, rightly so, took it with him to the lake. 

My husband was on vacation last week (first week in July) and he and our son went to spend the week at his parent's "cottage" on Silver Lake. We still call it "the cottage" even though my in-laws have long since made it their home by retiring there. Growing up, my husband and his siblings would spend all summer, every summer at the cottage on Silver Lake. But the reference to it being "the cottage" stuck. My daughter and I joined Stephen and Matthew mid week, getting to spend some time with ALL of my husband's family as everyone was able to make it up for at least part of the week.

My husband is back to work this week but our son opted to stay at the cottage to be able to spend more time with his cousins from Calgary that he gets to see only about once a year. 

Matthew is only 10 years old and although his days are jam-packed full of fun and exciting activities and adventures, nighttime does eventually fall. With the darkness and never-wanted in the first place bedtime, naturally comes a little bit of homesickness. 

My husband called this morning from work to let me know that Matthew had sent him an email from his iPad around 1:00am, saying "home, I want home." My heart broke into a million pieces for the little guy (I will get back to that) but also gave me an honest-to-goodness, genuine "flashback" to the very first time that our daughter Caitlin was away from home.

Caitlin was three years old before spent a single night away from home. And even though she was excitedly happy to be spending the "whole big long weekend" with my parents, as she called it (it wasn't an actual holiday long weekend, just in Caitlin's 3 year old mind, two nights and three days was a long time). Even though she adores my parents and they adore her right back, it wasn't such an adorably, happy or exciting time for poor old me who was watching my baby leave home for the first time!!

I actually spent the three days that she was away curled up in bed, sobbing my heart out because I missed her so much. If not for my very dear friend, Blaine Creelman, who was my constant companion and caretaker, I really don't think that I would have come out on the other side of those three days in one piece.

Although this is not the first time that our son has been away from home without any of us, what struck me this week, nearly 20 years later, with Matthew being at the lake without his Dad or me, or even his big sister, Caitlin (@likeotters), is that the heartache of missing a child, especially one that you know is missing you, is very similar to that of genuine grief. 

As I thought about our son being sad and lonely and "all by himself" (with lots of family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, BUT without Mom, Dad or big sister Caitlin), my eyes filled up with tears, and I realized that I was actually sobbing. 

The gasping, gulping, hiccuping, chest-heaving, hard to breathe, runny nose, tear-streaked red faced "ugly cry". It kind of took me by surprise though, (but just a little bit, because to be honest, I do have some inkling that I am a bit of a marshmallow when it come to my kids), that I could be so heartbroken at just the thought that my little boy was sad.

Since my husband hadn't called until around 9:00am, I didn't even know that Matthew had emailed in the middle of the night. But I t didn't seem to matter much that I knew by now Matthew wasn't in the least bit sad and lonely at that very moment, and nor would he be for the rest of the day. 

I knew that he was having a great time fishing, playing board games, tossing a football, shooting pellet guns, swimming, boating, tubing, knee boarding, jet skiing or whatever else they filled their day with. But that didn't stem the flow of tears or heart wrenching sobs that escaped from me. 

I felt just as bad today as I did 20 years ago when my first baby went away for the first time. I kind of wish that this was Matthew's first time away from home. Then I could sort of justify my sobbing, "ugly cry" and also so that I don't feel like a totally complete and utterly, mushy, sappy marshmallow. I am a little bit proud though, to accept that my love and fierce desire to ALWAYS protect my kids is still, even 20 years later, as strong as it ever was.

If you are with your kids tonight, give them a hug from me and God Bless!

#FlashbackFriday, #Flashback, #MemoryLane, #Memories, #RememberWhen, #Orcanut, #AMothersLove, #iPad, #Vacation, #Cottage, #Lake, #Family, #Cousins, #AwayFromHome, #Homesick, #Sad, #Lonely, #UglyCry, #Fun, #Fishing, #BoardGames, #Football, #PelletGun, #Swimming, #Boating, #Tubing, #KneeBoarding, #JetSki, #GrowingUp

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 3, 2015 ~ "HAIR DAZE" ~

As I approach the date of my annual hair cut, I thought now would be a good time for me to try a new curling technique that my sister-in-law told me about this week. (And yes, you read that correctly, and it is unfortunately very true. For the past 3-4 years, it has just happened to work out that I have only gotten my hair cut once a year, around the first or second week of July ~ hence the dry, flyaway, frizzy, split-end hair that you see in the photos). 

I get my hair cut at First Choice Hair Cutters, and it is quite astounding really, that I have been fortunate enough to have had the same hairdresser for each of those haircuts.

I have come across a few names for the no-heat, curling technique that Sue (@suecarswell) told me about. I've seen it called "T-Shirt Curls" (but it's not the ages old practice of rolling your hair up in cut stips of cloth and then tying the ends together). I've also seen it called "Flopping" and "Plopping."

Since I'm pretty reluctant about posting my ugly mug on-line again in the first place, I will NOT be doing a video of this technique. Besides, there are already plenty of tutorials on t-shirt curls out there to be found on YouTube. All you have to do is search "t-shirt curls" and I believe the very first video on the list is the technique that I am talking about.

I will however, post clear, step-by-step instructions on what I did to follow this technique.

This will be a true challenge and test of the veracity of this technique. I am certain that I have the finest, thinnest hair of any man, woman, or child on the planet. I would even be willing to bet that the Sphynx has thicker, fuller hair than I do!

I was told by a haridresser years ago that not only is my hair very, very fine, but that it is much, much thinner than most peoples hair is. She said that if I were to place a dime on my head and count the number of hairs within the dime's circumferance and compare that with the number of hairs within a dime's circumferance of someone else, I would discover that I had far fewer hairs than most everyone else. So, if this method of "non-heat curling" works at adding curls and volume to MY hair, it will most certainly work for anyones hair!

WHAT TO DO AND HOW IT WORKS: (Step-by-step instructions ~ read down the left side first, then the right side, last pic in in the middle).

1. The first photo shows my hair 3 days post-washing. (The last time I had washed my hair was on Tuesday, June 30th, just before my daughter and I headed up to the lake for a couple of days).

2. I washed my hair, (just once though. I did not "lather, rinse AND repeat" as recommended, I just lathered and rinsed. I find that my hair gets just as clean with only one washing and being the penny pincher that I am, figure I can save a few of those pennies by only washing my hair as needed). I've heard that it is better for your hair if you switch your shampoo every 2 or 3 months. So, when I found little, travel sized bottles of "Dove Advanced Hair Series ~ Oxygen Moisture ~ For fine, flat hair" shampoo and conditioner, (which could have been stocking stuffers from this past Christmas or perhaps were left behind from when my parents visited several weeks ago), I decided to try them. I am frequently trying new shampoos to see if I can find one that will actually do as advertised and add curl and/or volume to my pathetically limp hair. I was told that because my hair was so fine and thin that I shouldn't use conditioner on it. However, since the ends of my hair are so dry and split, I did add a little conditioner to my hair, working into my hair from about my ears down to the ends.   

3. After slightly drying my hair with a towel, I added my favourite curling product, "Marc Anthony Strickly Curls ~ Curl Defining Lotion". It has a wonderful, lemony smell and I used it even though I seem that I have an adverse reaction (my palms gets all red and blotchy and itch like crazy ) when I come into contact with anything that has lemon added. Fortunately, the product itself is really only applied to my hair and not my scalp. Well, I assume it is the lemon that causes my reaction because the same thing happens if I come into contact with Sunlight dish soap or Sunlight laundry detergent. 

(This is nothing at all against Sunlight, it's just that Sunlight is the only brand of product that I have used or even know about that contains lemon or lemon scent, aside from the Strictly Curls hair product that I use). For me, it is worth the irritation because I love the hair product and if I wash my hands as soon as I have applied the product, it tends to diminish the itchiness. 

4. After applying the Strictly Curls, I fingered it through my hair and then used a pick and then a brush to distribute it evenly throughout my hair. (I did this also as an added "test" of this method since I would be starting with my normal, "straight-as-a-board" hair). 

5. Next, I laid out one of my husband's t-shirts on our bed. I placed the hem of the t-shirt against the edge of the bed and face-up, stretched out the t-shirt so that it was laying flat, the sleeves out to either side.

5. Then I flipped my head upside down and finger toussling all of my hair forward, I leaned over and placed my hair over the middle of the t-shirt.

6. I lowered my head so that my hair would pile up naturally in the middle of the shirt and then I grabbed the hem of the t-shirt and placed it along my eyebrows and around to the back of my neck. Wrapping one end over the other, I held the ends in place while I grabbed the neckline of the shirt and pulled it up over my head until I reached my hand holding the hem ends in place. I then carefully stretched out the sleeves, making sure to keep the shirt tight at the back and brought each sleeve up around my ears and to the front of my forehead. I tied the sleeves in a knot and tucked in all loose sections of the shirt. I was also able to grab the hem of the shirt closest to my head and pull it up over the knotted sleeves (hopefully lessening some of the dorky look I was quickly achieving ~ however, if this works, I will gladly look like a dork over night to have natural, wavy curls in my hair)!!   

All that is left now is to wait. If you do this just before bed, you can easily sleep on your t-shirted hair and it should be perfect by the time you get up. Since I am trying this during the day, I plan on waiting for approximately 8 hours, or an average nights sleep, before checking on my hair.

THE BIG REVEAL:

It turns out that I waited for 9 hours and 20 minutes before removing the t-shirt from my head. I have to say, I am quite impressed with the results! The final, middle picture shows what my hair looked like fresh out of the t-shirt. I did not do any prepping or styling at all. I simply removed the shirt, flipped my hair back, moved some of the hair out of my eyes and took the photo.

Like I said, if this worked for my hair, as thin and fine as it is, with minimal curling product, and no styling, think what it could do for someone with normal hair!! With a little bit of time and styling, I think I could actually really like how my hair turned out. (Don't forget, it has been almost a year since my last haircut, so a lot of the frizziness and split ends would not be there).

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015 ~ "ERRORS IN BOOKS" ~

~ TICKED OFF TUESDAY ~ TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015 ~ "ERRORS IN BOOKS" ~ As you may know, I am quite an avid reader. (See my Wednesday, May 27, 2015 ~ QOT...D ~ post, "FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ BOOK EDITION" ~ at my relatively new blog site, Orca Cove, http://www.orcacove.blogspot.ca.

So, it's no secret that I love to read. I believe I have also mentioned that my 7+ year long chronic pain issues have severely hindered my ability to read for any length of time. Having said that, any time that I am able to spend reading is not only very valuable but very precious to me as well.

Therefore, it really irks me when I come across blatant errors in books. A novel I just finished reading, had one such blatant error.  Please don’t get me wrong, I know there are typos, misprints, and common errors that are if not expected, then at least understood in any given novel. (Although I do still wonder what the editors are being paid for, if not to catch things like that). Anyway, this error is so glaringly obvious, that it baffles my mind as to how it got missed.

The book I read was called "Hate List" by Jennifer Brown and is about a girl, Valerie, trying to come to grips with life after her boyfriend Nick shot several students, a teacher, and Valerie herself, before turning the gun on himself. At the end of chapter two, we are told that Valerie is going to catch the bus to school to avoid driving with her mother, who has been harping on her to "get over it' and get on with her life. 

BUT. . . and here's the error, the beginning of chapter three, in essence, the very next paragraph, has Valerie driving to school with her mother. There is no time lapse; this isn't about some future event. Valerie is still on her way to school for the first time since the shooting. 

I've also read books where characters names have changed midstream, characters who have died are suddenly back in the script, and not as ghosts. How do these types of errors happen?? How do they slip past not only the author, but editors, and publishers as well??

It just seems to me that if someone like me, an avid reader, yes, but one who knows nothing of the book publishing world, can catch what are glaringly obvious errors, how do they possibly get by the so called "professionals"??

I know this may seem somewhat petty so some, but in my position, where every word, every sentence, every paragraph of a book is a struggle to get through, it is more than just a minor annoyance.  My pain is in my head. Literally "in my head" as it is located at the base of my skull, in the back of my head and exacerbating my constant migraines, makes any cognitive function that much more difficult. Especially something that requires my concentration and focus. Like following a story line in a book, movie or television show.

I have to try to find a way through the pain to focus and concentrate on every word written or said ~ and yes, watching television or a movie with me is almost torture for my family as I often have to rewind to catch something that I have missed.

Anyway, all in all, I think it was an ok book, and I have finished it and a few others and have moved on to one by a favourite author, Linwood Barclay entitled "No Safe House" and am much looking forward to the next book on my Summer Reading List, the fourth book in the "Shiver" series by Maggie Stiefvater called "Sinner."

So, that's what I am "ticked off" about this week. How about you?

#TickedOffTuesday #TickedOff, #Upset, #Angry, #PetPeeve, #Errors, #ErrorsInBooks, #Books, #Reading, #ChronicPain, #Migraines, #Time, #Novels, #TypoMisprint, #Edit, #Editors, #Publishers, #HateList, #JenniferBrown, #SchoolShooting, #Concentration, #Focus, #MovieTV, #FavouriteAuthor, #LinwoodBarclay, #NoSafeHouse, #SummerReadingList, #MaggieStiefvater #Shiver, #Sinner

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ June 26, 2015 ~ A DISASTER IN THE KITCHEN ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ June 26, 2015 ~ A DISASTER IN THE KITCHEN ~ Last Sunday, a good friend on Facebook, Shelley Selig, posted a picture of a pastry blender in one of those "Do you remember this" posts.

Seeing it gave me the idea for this weeks "Flashback Friday" post. It's all about what a disaster I am in the kitchen and the fact that I cannot bake to save my life.

I married the most wonderful man on the planet but he sure got the short end of the stick in marrying me! I am the world's worst housekeeper and I only knew how to make about four staple meals when we got married. I could make 1) spaghetti, 2) pork chops and fried rice, 3) scalloped potatoes and 4) stew. (Yeah, I know, scalloped potatoes isn't exactly a "meal" but I would usually add breakfast strips and a veggie and call that supper)!

As for baking, well, it's a good thing that my darling hubby doesn't have a sweet tooth!! I honestly cannot bake a single thing! Even now, after almost 12 years of marriage, I have only added one meal (chicken mushroom rice and veggies) to my menu. I was able, however, to add one dessert to our menu!! I can actually make cherry cheesecake!! (It's the no-bake kind, so I'm not sure if that counts, but at least I graduated from being asked to just bring punch to family functions to bringing cheesecake)!!

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking that I just don't like to cook/bake or that I just haven't tried hard enough, but I assure you, I honestly, truly am a complete and total klutzy disaster in the kitchen!! And I have several examples to prove it!!

Going WAY back to when my husband and I were first together and dating when I was in high school, I remember trying to make a roast for dinner. I must have called my mom at least a dozen times that day with question after question after question. I finally figured out what to do and had everything ready. The table was set, the veggies and potatoes were simmering on the stove, and the roast was in the oven. It was going to be a PERFECT birthday surprise for Stephen. 

To make a long story short (really, I can do that, if I try hard enough), in the end, the surprise was on me. All of the food was set out and ready to serve, I pulled the roast from the oven, and set it on the table, ready for my big reveal. (We didn't stand on ceremony and usually just served out of the pots, although this once, I almost wish we had, I wouldn't have been so stunned then perhaps). I guess the one question that I should have asked my mom and didn't, was "what is the roast supposed to look like when it's done?"

The roast that I had put into the over would have kept us in leftovers for two weeks, EASY. The roast that I pulled out of the oven and revealed with a flourish however, was barely big enough to make a meal for our cat!! WHO THE HECK KNEW THAT ROAST SHRINKS?!?!? WHY DOES ROAST SHRINK ANYWAY?!?

Needless to say, I made sure that we went out or that my parents invited us over for any future birthdays or special occasions! Except that one time that I finally put THE ROAST INCIDENT (for that's how I think of it, all caps, bold, underlined, italicized) behind me and decided to bake a cake for Stephen's birthday. 

Leaving nothing to chance, I bought a cake mix that all you had to do was add water. You even cooked it in the box it came in! What luck!! I couldn't wait to finally be able to surprise Stephen, for once, on his birthday! Even I couldn't screw that up!! 

WRONG!! You could have anchored a boat with that cake! I followed the directions exactly, the oven temperature was correct, I didn't leave it in too long, and to this day, I still have no idea what happened or why it was so heavy and hard as a rock and what could have possibly gone wrong.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of my disaster stories. Many years ago, a friend and next door neighbour, Tanya Butt Condon, couldn't believe that I really couldn't bake. She was determined to prove me wrong and one Saturday, set up an experiment, meant to finally put my kitchen ghosts to rest.

Here is how the experiment went. Tanya picked the easiest cookie recipe that she had, (I believe it was oatmeal raisin) and set up her kitchen counter so that we both had the exact same utensils, the exact same ingredients and measuring apparatuses, and the exact same cookie sheets.

Ingredient for ingredient, step by step, we each followed the recipe. I did EXACTLY what Tanya did. We even counted as we stirred and mixed to make sure that each batch got the exact same number of strokes. We spooned the cookies onto the cookie sheets, adjusting where necessary, to make sure that they were the exact same size and looked exactly alike. We put them into the same oven at the exact same time. (We even set the timer for half of the required time and switched places in the oven just in case). 

Each of our cookie trays came out of the oven at the exact same time, cooled for exactly the same amount of time and, yup, you guessed it, Tanya's cookies turned out perfectly, and mine, well, I'm not sure what exactly was wrong with mine. They were undercooked, overcooked, tasted like they were missing key ingredients, I don't know. They weren't even fit to feed to the ducks at Point Pleasant Park or the Public Gardens in Halifax! 

You would think that my sad, tragic story would end there, it's bad enough already right? Well, I actually have two more baking nightmares to share with you. 

This first one isn't so much on me as it is on my next door neighbour, Julie Sinclair. You see, Julie makes these incredible, "you-can't-stop-at-just-one", amazingly delicious, "once-you've-had-them-you-never-want-another-kind-of-cookie-again" cookies called "Molasses Moons." That's the original, official name for them anyway. Anyone who has ever tasted or tired to make these cookies however, files them under the name "Julie's Impossible Cookies." This is because despite trying, and even given my lack of culinary abilities, I have tried to make them several times, nobody, and I really do mean not one other single person, can make them as good as Julie! 

At a gathering at Julie's house once, we all agreed that we were certain that she must leave out a key ingredient, different for each of us, on any recipe that she passed on. Julie, jokingly, often calls over and asks if "Carswell Convenience" is open. Of course I don't really expect or even want to be repaid for anything that may be borrowed, be it a bag of milk, a cup of sugar, a can of spaghetti sauce or even an emergency gift. However, Julie usually insists, and I am so thankful to be able to tell her that the reimbursement is a batch of her Impossible Cookies! 

My final and most recent story is from a few years ago. I found an incredibly scrumptious cookie/square recipe that we just "had" to try at home. They were called "Hello Dolly's," and I had to try making them two days after we tried them for the first time ~ they really were that good!

I'll spare you the gory details and just tell you that someone has changed the name of the cookies/squares on the recipe card so that it now reads "Goodbye Dolly's."

And the moral of the story? If you ever feel inclined to invite me to a potluck dinner, your best bet is to make sure I'm bringing punch or cheesecake!!

NOTE: Believe it or not, I do actually have several cookbooks! (Yeah, I'm not sure why either, probably because our daughter, Caitlin (@likeotters) has fortunately not been inflicted with the same culinary curse that I have, and is phenomenal in the kitchen)! 

So, if you would like any of the recipes that I mentioned above ~ trust me, the errors are completely my fault and not the fault of the recipes, at all ~ (I've noted them in a list below), please feel free to contact me and I'll gladly pass them along!

Cherry Cheesecake

Chicken Mushroom Rice

Hello/Goodbye Dolly's

Molasses Moons/Julie's Impossible Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Pork Chops & Fried Rice 

Scalloped Potatoes 

Spaghetti

Stew 

 

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QOT...W ~ June 24, 2015 ~ I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY CANCELLED MY FAVOURITE TV SHOW!

QOT...W ~ June 24, 2015 ~ I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY CANCELLED MY FAVOURITE TV SHOW! ~ I figured that since I've covered books, movies and dreams, I may as well talk about TV shows too. I'm sure everyone has their favourite "can't miss" shows that they watch on tv. (And I'm not talking about daytime soap operas, but the television shows that are aired during prime time). 

My favourites haven't changed much over the years. I am however terribly disappointed about shows that I really started to get into, only to have the networks cancel them after only a few episodes or not renew them the following season. 

The shows I have been watching this year include (in no particular order, although I will * my favourites): Revenge*, Once Upon A Time*, Arrow*, Red Band Society, Stalker, The Flash*, Person Of Interest*, Scandal*, Elementary, Scorpion*, Forever, Deadliest Catch*, and Gracepoint. I also watched every season of Grey's Anatomy. I'm not really heartbroken that the series has ended though, I kinda feel that it ran its course.

In doing research for this post, I discovered that several of the shows I enjoyed watching this past fall, (some favourites), are either being cancelled or will have their series end this year. They are: Stalker, Revenge, Gracepoint, Red Band Society, and Forever. I sincerely hope that none of my other favourites end up being cancelled!!

Other shows that have already been cancelled over the past few years, much to my chagrin, are: Ringer, Private Practice, Body of Proof, Deception, The Tomorrow People, Betrayal, Hostages, Do No Harm, Touch, Golden Boy, Twisted, GCB, The Finder, The Vineyard, A Gifted Man, Harry's Law, In Plain Sight, and Unforgettable. All great shows that are now on the cutting room floor.

There are several shows that I thought had really great characters and character development, and a good storyline. However, they were still cancelled and they NEVER should have been. They are: Hostages, Touch, Twisted, The Vineyard and Harry's Law. Another show I was heartbroken to see end was The Finder. I believe that this was the last show that Michael Clark Duncan starred in before his death. 

The one show that I was most disappointed to see not renewed was The Tomorrow People. I LOVED this show! It was mostly about teens who had special abilities, like telekinesis, teleportation and telepathy. I really was very disheartened when the network pulled this show. I want to know what happens next with the characters!!

The summer season is upon us and many of the "regular" programs are not running. The networks do however, release summer programming and I have started watching a few of the new and returning summer release TV shows. Some look to be fairly interesting and I hope to at least check them out. They are: The Briefcase, Whispers, Stichers, Pretty Little a Liars*, Proof, The Brink, Humans, Zoo, Scream, Between, and Mistresses*. With the exception of Pretty Little Liars and Mistresses, the rest are all new series, set to start or have started already this summer. 

My daughter and I are watching Between, and so far, it's pretty gripping! I have only watched a couple of episodes of Whispers and Stichers and they both look really good. I am trying not to get too vested in these shows though, because the way things have gone, they will be cancelled too!

As a family, we also really enjoy watching America's Got Talent during the summer months, so I'm really glad it has survived the network cuts over the years!!

And so, today's QOT...W is, "WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOWS THAT YOU WATCH REGULARLY? DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SHOW THAT IS NO LONGER AIRING, either because it has aired its series finale or because the network cut it from the programming lineup?

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