FLASHBACK 1976 *or possibly further*

 
REPEAT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT:
"a very merry unbirthday to me...to you..."
i'm not sure when she started...my earliest memory of my grandma marge reading "alice in wonderland" to me was when i was 10. but we had just moved back after 4 years, so it's very possible she had been reading it to me before. she told me i reminded her of alice...i was easily distracted. 
FLASH FORWARD july 2004
grandma marge passed. we start going thru her scrapbook. we learn some very interesting things...she was on the ohio state homecoming court in 1938. what?! that's cool! she was a licensed pilot. what?!!!!!!!!!!! okay!! grandma!! how do you not mention these things to your granddaughter(s)??!! grandma lillie says it best "ladies never brag...and marge was a lady...". i picked up a copy of "alice in wonderland" soon after. i read it at least once a year (or did until i mis-placed my copy...time for a trip to the book store!! yay!! or better yet...someone can get me this louis vuitton edition from penguin publishing...thanks for bringing it to my attention paige!!!). it keeps her close to me.....
FLASH FORWARD today
today is "mad hatter day**"....today is a day that all the stuff we do everyday, that most people would consider sane (going to work, paying the bills, cleaning the house), is complete and utter madness...and all the stuff that makes us happy, that most people would consider madness (playing in the rain, singing at the top of our tone-deaf lungs, dancing with the devil in the pale moon light) would be deemed completely sane!! just for today...
so put on your favorite hat...and get out there and do something completely...sane!!

                                

 

a gallery of silly hats:

      

 

                          

                  

 

                         

 

                                   


**interesting factoid: in the illustrations, the hatter is always seen wearing a top hat with a slip reading "this style 10/6" (meaning that style hat cost 10 shilling sixpence)...so we here in america took it as a sign to act like the hatter on october 6...the english? yeah...they read the date backwards, which means they act like the hatter on june 10...since i like to write my dates backwards but am, in fact, american, i think i will act like a hatter on both dates...XD     

FLASHBACK 2737 bc

BECAUSE IT'S TOTALLY WORTH REPEATING...
"you get tea when it's raining, tea when it's snowing. tea when the weather's fine..."
rumor has it that tea is discovered by chinese emperor, shan nong. supposedly, this emperor likes to boil his drinking water...which, if you watch survivorman at all, you know this is a good idea...and, one day, while strolling thru the gardens, a few tea leaves fall in his mug. KABOOM!! tea inventor! (all of this MUST be true...i read it on the internet. here and also here. )
FLASH FORWARD today
today is a brrrrrr chilly rabbit sort of day. a day where you get hypothermia just looking out the window. it's the perfect day for snuggling in with a great read...or a horrible lifetime movie...and sipping on a nice...hot...cup of tea. and what a perfect month to do that...it just happens to be national hot tea month!

             

^i'm telling you...brrrr chilly rabbit!^

so, you don't know the first thing about hot tea? or how to enjoy it? the following is a list of the different types and their health benefits. yes. i said HEALTH benefits!

• GREEN TEA: this is made with steamed tea leaves. it contains the most ECGC, an antioxidant known as as a flavanoid. green tea's antioxidants are thought to interfere with the growth of some cancers. specifically: bladder, breast, lung, colorectal, and stomach cancers. it is, also, thought to help burn fat. BONUS!!! plus, it's delicious. 
• BLACK TEA: this is made with fermented tea leaves. it contains the most caffeine. studies show that black tea may protect lungs from the damage caused by cigarette smoke. don't ask me how...i'm not gonna do that much research. also. it's delicious.
• WHITE TEA: this is uncured and unfermented. again, it's antioxidants have been credited with preventing cancers. it is, also, thought to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. ummmm...i have never ever tried white tea, so it might suck. but i imagine it's delicious!
• OOLONG TEA: this is a semi~fermented tea. it has been credited to lower bad cholesterol levels. and, it has been marketed as a weight loss supplement but no studies have substantiated this claim. again...delicious!

the best way to enjoy hot tea? well...some people add sugar. some people add cream. some people float a nice slice of lemon. there is NO wrong way. i, personally, enjoy a flavored tea, with a bit of splenda , while snuggled on the couch, covered in my nightmare before christmas blanket. 

                                   

BECAUSE IT'S THURSDAY?

"puff the magic dragon lived by the sea...."

dragon: a mythical monster like a giant reptile. in european tradition the dragon is typically fire-breathing and tends to symbolize chaos or evil, whereas in east asia it is usually a beneficent symbol of fertility, associated with water and the heavens.










just a quick list of my favorite dragons in honor of "appreciate a dragon" day:

1. puff the magic dragon

2. falkor (the never ending story)

3. elliot (pete's dragon)

4. smaug (j.r.r. tolkien's the hobbit)

5. the hungarian horntail (j.k. rowling's harry potter)

6. maleficent (sleeping beauty)

7. (and my all time favorite) h.r. pufnstuf

have you appreciated a dragon today? 

                                        

THE SUNDAY PAPER (or book or blog or mag)

"free your mind and the rest will follow..."                                      
FLASHBACK 1966
in hanover, virginia, parents complain that a discussion of rape, in to kill a mockingbird, is immoral and call for it to be removed from the school reading list.
FLASH FORWARD 1977
in eden valley, minnesota to kill a mockingbird is banned because of the words "damn" and "whore lady".
 FLASH FORWARD (1980 something)
i'm given a reading assignment. i'm not excited. how can i be excited about a book, written in the 60's, about people living in 30's? but, to kill a mockingbird will quickly become one of my favorites. i want an atticus finch and boo radley in my life. *for those unfamiliar with the story, to kill a mockingbird is a lesson in social inequality as told thru the eyes of six year old scout. and you should totally read it*
FLASH FORWARD 1984
the waukegan, illinois school district bans to kill a mockingbird because the "n" word is used 48 times in 211 pages.
FLASH FORWARD 2003
to kill a mockingbird is banned from normal, illinois community high school's sophomore literature class because it's "degrading to african americans".
TODAY
people continue to attempt to ban books from schools and public libraries. and to kill a mockingbird is always on the list of banned and challenged books. it's in good company with the great gatsby, the lord of the flies, and the grapes of wrath. the top 10 banned books of 2012~2013 are:

1. captain underpants, dav pilkey (offensive language and unsuited for age group)
2. the absolute true diary of a part time indian, sherman alexie (offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group)
3. 13 reasons why, jay asher (drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group)
4. 50 shades of grey, e.l. james (offensive language, sexually explicit)
5. and tango makes three, peter parnell and justin richardson (homosexuality, unsuited for age group)
6. the kite runner, khaled hosseini (homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit)
7. looking for alaska, john green (offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group)
8. scary stories, alvin schwartz (unsuited for age group, violence)
9. the glass castle, jeannette walls (offensive language, sexually explicit)
10. beloved, toni morrison (sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence)

september 22 thru 28 is banned books week. celebrate your right to read whatever you choose by selecting books off the banned books list and participating in the virtual read~out! 

^two of these books have been banned, or challenged, from schools or public libraries. can you guess which two?

FLASHBACK may 2005

*note: in honor of 'hurricane preparedness week (may 26-jun 1)' i am letting you re-visit a previous post about emergency prep...enjoy!*

"in your head, in your head...zombie, zombie, zombie..."
it seems impossible, but dustin is graduating. the parents come to town for the weekend to partake in the festivities. daddy comes out of the bathroom "why do you have a guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse in your bathroom?" me "because we want to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, duh doy!" d "you need some quality reading material in there" me "one day you'll be glad your daughter and grandsons know how to survive a zombie apocalypse".
FLASH FORWARD december 2010
the bk has to go to charlotte on business. the meetings will start early on monday, so he leaves on sunday. i lay down on the couch and start flipping channels. i find the walking dead on amc. it's the season finally later so it's a marathon. i watch for 6 straight hours. it's awesome. it helps me gain a little more understanding of what the zombie apocalypse will look like.
FLASH FORWARD today
say what you want about my "zombie apocalypse" knowledge, it's actually a smart thing to be prepared for an emergency. even the cdc jumped on the zombie apocalypse band wagon, using it to teach us how to prevent infectious diseases...click here to learn more...emergency prep doesn't have to be as serious as something you might see on doomsday preppers. i have survived countless hurricanes and ice storms...i am always prepared. you should be, too.

first, have an emergency evacuation plan (especially if you live in a hurricane prone area). you need to know, ahead of time, where you will go. and you should have the following with you:

• large backpack or container for all emergency items
• health profile for all family members
• updated medications
• copy of important documents (insurance, social security cards, driver's licenses, birth certificates, deeds, stocks/bonds, wills, pet’s vaccination records, etc)
• spare keys 
• cash
• first aid kit 
• wrench or pliers
• extra cell phone chargers
• batteries
• work gloves, rope, tarp, and utility knife
• emergency whistle
• filter masks for every family member
• crank or battery operated radio
• crank or battery operated flashlight
• light/glow sticks
• can opener
• plastic bags or trash bags
• hand sanitizer
• blankets and warm clothing for each family member
• baby items (extra diapers, wipes, formula)
• pet items (food, water)
• Extra clothes for each person

riding it out at home? you need the following packed in a large rubbermaid bin:

• water: at least a 3 day supply (1 gallon per day per person)...but go for 7 if you can...also, fill some rubber maid bins with water for bathing, washing dishes, etc.
• stock up on non-perishable foods (think spaghettios, chef boyardee, dinty moore beef stew). anything that comes in a can and requires little to no water. don't forget infant formula and pet food.
• first aid kit
• batteries. make sure to have a supply of every size.
• at least one change of clothes per person. don't forget jackets, shoes, rain gear, hats and gloves.
• blankets or sleeping bags.
• crank or battery operated radio and/or tv
• matches
• candles
• personal hygeine products...y'all don't wanna be stanky do ya?

some of the items are in both kits. if the zombies are busting thru your front window, and you have to make a run for it, you really don't want to have to stop and hunt thru the bin for batteries. do you? cuz i'm fairly certain unnecessary stops will lead to you being lunch. 

happy prepping and see you in the safe haven!!!

^the walking dead^

^zombie hunter extroardinaire^

     

FLASHBACK 1970 somethin

 

these are a few of my favorite things~

the brady bunch
candy cigarettes
alice in wonderland
michael jackson~ben
tee shirt, shorts, and bare feet

  

flash forward today:

these are a few of my favorite things~

the big bang theory
candy cane tootsie pops
to kill a mockingbird
dave matthews~mercy
tee shirt, skirt, and bare feet

          

look back on your own life...what were your favorite things when you were a kid? and what are your favorite things now? i bet you haven't changed as much as you think :)

FLASHBACK april 2009

"don't you know about the bird? well everybody knows that the bird is the word..."
queenie and i talk everyday. she tells me about her friend "bird" which leads to a facebook friendship. bird and queenie dub me cardinal, because cardinals are the north carolina state bird. fortunately for me, they are, also, the state bird of ohio and 5 other states. i can safely live in north carolina, ohio, west virginia, virginia, kentucky, indiana, and illinois without changing my nickname.
FLASH FORWARD december 
i go running out of the house to run an errand. i hear a strange noise and assume the gardeners are working on the grounds of our apartment complex. i step off the porch and SPLAT!! bird doo on my neck!! ewwwwwwww!!!! i quickly realize i am dead center in a humongous flock of birds. i run to my car and watch in amazement as this flock swarms a berry tree and, then, in complete unison, flies on to the next...inevitably dropping doo on the next person to mistakenly walk thru them. 
FLASH FORWARD december 14, 2012 thru january 5, 2013
the audubon society sponsors a yearly christmas bird count. during these 3 weeks, tens of thousands of volunteers will brave rain, wind, and snow to go out and attempt to get a count of bird populations in their area. this information will be collected to help guide conservation efforts and assess the health of bird populations. click here if you would like to get involved...

                    

^three little birds and my artwork^