Quote of the Day

Happy Birthday Juliette

Dear Juliette Gordon Low:

I’m writing to you today to wish you a Happy Halloween! And probably more important to you Happy Birthday! Aren’t birthdays grand? I’ve always believed that they are just as good as Christmas. I mean people are nice to you, they give you presents, and they may throw a party or take you out to eat as a celebration. I know there are people who don’t enjoy their birthdays, but I’m not one of them. I hope that you’re not one of those people who view aging as a bad thing. I doubt it since you did so many positive things during your lifetime. I’ve found that people who do positive things look more positively toward aging.

I was also wondering if when you started Girl Scouts if you imagined thousands of little girls across the nation selling cookies each spring? I know every time you go to the grocery store on Saturday there are little girls asking if you would like to buy some cookies. Personally, I think it’s kind of great. The cookies taste great, and it encourages those young ladies to develop the courage to ask for something they want. That’s not always an easy lesson for everyone to learn.

I also wonder if you had any idea how many you ladies would gain valuable skills from the program you started. Some of those young ladies have gone on to become some real power houses in the modern world. They include Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the first female appointed to the Supreme Court, Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, Lucille Ball the comedian, and Martha Stewart the businesswoman. That’s a pretty impressive group of alumni from the program you started.

I wonder if your desire to start a program like the Girl Scouts came out of the many personal problems you experienced during your life time. I mean it probably took a lot of courage to divorce that husband who cheated on you and had a slight drinking problem. It must have been difficult for you since divorce had such a negative stigma in the early 1900’s. But your program has lasted for a long time, and benefited tons of young ladies.

So I want to wish you Happy Birthday Juliette, and thanks for starting such a great organization.

Tailgate Party Want List

1. Printed Football Tailgate Party Kit UnlimitedPartyThemes

SASSY GARLIC mild BBQ Grilling Rub JamnSalsa

Handmade Football Ear Flap Hat yankeerose

Football Tailgate Party Pie Bites (12) OldTimeFavorites

Vintage Egg Basket Picnic Basket Tailgate Party grasshoppercafe

Spinach and Italian Sausage Casserole

Casseroles are some of my favorite meals. It’s usually the combination of foods that I really enjoy. In this case spinach, Italian sausage and cheese, and it’s something that I can prepare ahead of time and toss in the oven. So here’s what you need to make this fabulous casserole.

½ pound Italian sausage
¼ cup olive oil
½ pound sliced mushrooms
1 medium chopped onion
6 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 minced garlic cloves
½ teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon marjoram

Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain the sausage and the pan and set aside. Heat oil and add the spinach, mushroom, onions, and garlic and sauté. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small casserole dish. Now put the eggs, cheese, basil, and marjoram in a bowl, and mix well. Mix in the sausage, onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Now pour the mixture into the casserole dish, and bake for 25 minutes. It’s just that easy.

Lel Brothas

As soon as I saw the video for the song She Wanna by the Lel Brothas, I thought if the rest of their upcoming album called The Epidemic is as good as this song that is going to be one great release. I really liked this song because each of the artists told about their preferences in women. One wants a down to earth girl, one wants a girl with attitude, and one wants a party girl. The entertainment world is often criticized for encouraging women to fit into certain molds, but these young men are saying everybody has different tastes you have to find the right guy who will treat you right. Cheers to Lel Brothas for encouraging the ladies to be themselves!

When I visited the bands page on reverbnation I heard the song I Like to Party, and if this song doesn’t make you want to dance, I don’t don’t know what will make you want to dance. The lyrics of the song are simple I like to party, but they are combined with synthesizers, and a great beat. In the end it makes great music to party by.

Promote your mixtape at ReverbNation.com

The band recently returned from a tour of Japan and Brazil. And they soon leave for a tour of the Middle East. The big question is when will they begin a tour of the US to promote their new album? Hopefully, it will be soon.

Lel Brothas

Guest Blogger Captain

I thought I would share the pictures from my recent photo shoot with our friend Summit’s pet human Gloria Diaz. If I do believe that the pictures she shot turned out quit well.

Please let me know which photo you like best.

Make a Difference

You can make a difference on National Make a difference day

October 26^th is National Make a Difference Day. There are so many ways that we can make a difference in our world, but often most of us don’t recognize what we can do. So let’s take a look at a couple of things that each of us can do to make a difference in the world.

1.       For most of us the easiest and least time consuming is donating to charities. Choose a charity that supports your beliefs. Large charities provide many options on how you would like your money to be spent. They also provide disclosure of how they spend their money, and often show the amount of money that is spent on administrative costs compared to what is spent on actually providing services.

2.       Donate to local charities either financially or with your time. Both of these are always needed. Local volunteers keep many charities going. The options are often limitless, and pretty much everybody has skills that can be used. Whether it’s assisting with transportation of veterans, to tutoring a child with reading, to washing dishes at your local food kitchen, you have a useful skill.

3.       Do something extra for someone in your life. Remember the people we see each and every day are the people’s lives we are able to make the most difference in every day. A kind word to someone can actually change someone’s day. Giving a compliment can actually make someone feel better about themselves. Taking a couple of minutes to speak to a neighbor may mean the world to them. Remember being nice is a choice!

So it’s up to you to decide how you want to make a difference, but remember the world will be a better place if you decide to do it!

Quote of the Day

Halloween Want List

1. Halloween Nail Art Hailthenails

2. Clawed Temporary Tattoo Buttonhead

3. Scarecrow - Temporary Tattoos SugarTats

4. Child Size Witch Broom Halloween Costume Accessory BROOMCHICK

5. Devil Horns BatcakesCouture

Oh, The Places I'd Go

We all dream about what we would do with unlimited funds. Well at least everyone I know does. Oh, the places we would all go if we could go anywhere without having to worry about a budget. Here are three of the current places I would love to visit if I could go anywhere today.

First place on the list would be Buenos Aires, Argentina. Yes, I want to visit the land of the tango and Evita.  Of course I want to see the monuments to Evita, she just fascinates me.

But the real reason I want to go is the houses in El Caminito. The residents of the area have painted their homes with leftover paint, and as you can see they are quite colorful. Even though the neighborhood is a little rough I believe it’s worth the risk.

The next place on my list is India. Of course I want to see the usual sites in India. But I really want to go during the Hindu festival of Holi. It just sounds like so much fun to be able to throw water balloons, and paint on individuals as part of a celebration. It’s something I want to see.

And the last place I would go with unlimited funds at this point in my life is Philadelphia, PA. Yep, I know, it’s not what you expected, but Philadelphia has to be included. I want to see The Dream Garden. Now I’ve caught a couple of people’s attention. Imagine a 15’ x 49’ Tiffany mural. That’s what I want to see.

So I’ve shared some of my travel destinations, now where would you go?

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders

Sliders are one of the greatest culinary inventions in my opinion.  Little bite size sandwiches that are perfect for a small meal. So here’s a simple recipe for Hawaiian pulled pork that tastes great on a slider bun.

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup soy sauce

¾ cup brown sugar

2 sliced jalapeno peppers

1 clove minced garlic

1 tablespoon Worchester sauce

1 pound pork loin

Cut the pork loin into cube sized pieces, and brown. While the meat is browning mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. When the meat is finished browning put it in a crock pot, sauce mixture and cook until the meat is tender and pulls apart. Then place the pulled pork on a slider bun and enjoy!

Guest Blogger Bobaloo

I thought I would show you a map of how I view my pet human's bed. Fellow felines please let me know if this is how you view your human's bed, and if there is anything I have left off my map.

Quote of the Day

Trick or Treat Want List

1.       Personalized Halloween Trick-or-Treat Bag by boutiquesewunique

2.       Set of 5 Whimsical Halloween magnet by HalloweenBoutique

3.       Halloween Book Marks by ItsWrittenOnTheWall

4.       Halloween trick-or-treat candy bowl by suzaluna

5.       Trick or Treat Gift Box by EmilyHingston

Slightly Left of Centre Music Review

Remember all that dance music from the 80’s and 90’s? You know the music that played while you partied the night away? Slightly Left of Centre’s music reminds me of that music. The song Getting Over It is definitely a song that you expect to hear at the beginning of a night of partying. The song has a funk feel to it. And it is definitely a call to the dance floor. And I absolutely love the band’s use of synthesizers in the song Love the Way You Move. You can watch the video for the song below. Their use of animation in the video is so much fun.

Slightly Left of Centre

And I was really glad to hear a great cover of the song Mad World which is one of my favorite songs of all time. SLC’s version does the song justice too. I’ve heard some bands cover this song, and it hasn’t really worked out too well, but this cover is excellent.

Overall, the Melbourne based band has loads of potential, and hopefully their music will hit the States soon. You can visit their website to learn more about the band, and purchase some of their music. 

Columbus Day

Dear Leif Erikson:

 While I was growing up in Minnesota, the local park had a replica of a Viking Long Ship. The ship always fascinated me. I always wondered what a voyage across the ocean to North America was like. Did you and your fellow Vikings actually know that you were going to be the first Europeans to reach North America? Followed by another question how, did any of the adventurers in your party experience sea sickness? I would imagine some of those days on the water could be pretty rough. And was the guy who got sea sick made fun of? I mean you Vikings are known for being a pretty tough group so I would imagine anybody who couldn’t handle a little rough water got to hear about it.

Then one day I read how your ships were equipped with oars. And I wondered is there a Nordic version of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and did you guys sing this song as you rowed across sections of the ocean? Or did you all have some other means of motivating yourself as you rowed your boat?

But most of all I wonder what do you think of Christopher Columbus? I mean he kind of stole your thunder. For such a long time he was given credit for discovering the New World, which has been proven wrong. And then he ends up with a National Holiday. I mean the government, and the banks shut down for him. So does that make you feel a little slighted or are you happy for him? I hope you are happy for him, but it has to hurt a little.

So I hope you have a great Columbus Day Leif!

K-Camo Bygones Music Review

Sometimes you hear the intro to a song, and you think where is this song going? That what I thought when I first heard the song Bygones by K-Camo. The song starts out with slowly with lyrics saying New Dawn New Day and builds into a rap. As I listened to the song I realized that the song was about letting go of hate. And that the artists were trying to encourage the listener to see that the past is the past. Now that is a message that I really like! Since the message of the song is powerful, the artist has chosen simple rhythms and mixing so that the song sounds really great. And the other songs that the artist listed on soundcloud are just as good.

This is pretty good stuff coming from an 18 year old from Dayton, Ohio. It’s obvious that this young man has a love for music. He has also started his own music label called DopeLogic so he has plans for a future in music, which I think is a great thing since this K-Camo definitely is encouraging something positive. 

K-Camo

Mona Lisa Shares some Words of Wisdom

Remember the part in Harry Potter where the pictures talk to everyone? That’s always kind of fascinated me. I mean what would the pictures hanging in everyone’s home say?  I wonder what Mona Lisa would say if she could talk. Would she simply tell everyone to stop staring at her? Or would she have some sort of words of wisdom? I believe that she would have a combination of both. Here are some of Mona Lisa’s words of wisdom.

1.       Every day thousands of people stare at me all day long don’t they have other things to look at? The world is full of beauty so why am I what they choose to look at every day.

2.       I was never surprised that the French Revolution occurred, after all those skirts Marie Antoinette wore were a bit much. Don’t worry so much about fads they come and go classics survive the ages!

3.       Since I spent some time hanging in Napoleon’s bedroom, I can assure you that he truly did have “little man complex”. He was a nut job! If you have a child who is a little different than other children in some way shape or form, make sure you spend time with him so he develops into a healthy individual.

4.       The view from a salon at the Lourve is far superior to the view in a broom closet. At least I can see different people as they pass, and I can hear their conversations. In a broom closet you simply have brooms, and they aren’t really known for their conversations. Make sure you get out and see the world a little!

5.       And everyone wonders why I am smiling, it’s simple everyone else who had their portrait painted at that time was very serious. I thought a smile would make me stand out. I was right everyone asks why I’m smiling. Dare to be a little different.

Things That Have Made This Week Fabulous

The taste of guacamole on a burrito. I’ve never figured out how something that looks so awful can taste so good.

Seeing a squirrel sit on its hind legs looking across a lawn. I wonder if he was trying to figure out just how many acorns he can bury in that yard.

Listening to a song, and thinking to myself I really like this. Check out Laslow Simplex’s Music review.

That feeling of relief when you finally get all the work you have to complete in a day finished even though it took longer than you planned.

The smell of a match when you strike it to light a candle. It’s a scent that fades as soon as the candle is lit.

Stalin Music Review

Metalheads are going to be thrilled, when they hear the new music from the San Francisco based band Stalin. The band plays hard hitting metal. The song California starts with great bass work then it add some drums, followed by guitar that leads into the lyrics.  And with lyrics like, “It takes some kind of illusion to see into my state of mind” you know the song isn’t just fluff. The artists seem to want people to think about what they see and what’s going on around them. And if you watch the video of the song you will see that things that feel good may just have some twists and turns in the end.  You can visit their website to see the video. Like a lot of heavy metal and alternative music the band does use profanity. So don’t be surprised if you hear it in their music. And the video does have some explicit sexual content in it. It is not porn, but the video they produced for youtube was edited so that it could it be viewed on the site.

StalinStalin

But the song More of the Same was the one song that the band has listed on soundcloud that is my favorite. I really liked how the song had piano, and it moved back and forth from a slow pace to a fast pace. It reminded me a lot of how life has its ups and downs. I’m not sure that is what the artists wanted to convey, but that’s what I thought the first time I heard it. And I felt like the band was trying to add something a little different to the metal formula. I think it worked.  Once again I will remind readers that the lyrics do contain profanity so you are warned.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to their music. I felt like they were trying to produce something that isn’t heard on mainstream radio, and I am always in favor of that. But if you are looking for a sweet pop song this band will be something completely different from that. The band is due to have an album released soon, and I can’t wait to see how they shock the world with their next videos.

Grape Leaves Stuffed With Rice, Dill and Walnuts

When I went to Greekfest earlier this summer I had some really wonderful stuffed grape leaves. So here is a version of stuffed grape leaves that is kind of fitting for fall.

What you’ll need

1 16 ounce jar grape leaves

8 cups of water 1 pound brown rice

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup olive oil

1 ½ pounds chopped onion

1 cup chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves minced

¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

¾ cups chopped dill

1 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups crumbled fet cheese

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Place grape leaves in a large bowl. Cover with water. Let soak while preparing rice filling.

Cook rice until it is tender and set aside.

Heat ½ cup oil in a pot. Add onions and sauté for 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in parsley, walnuts, dill, pepper and 1 tsp salt. Then add feta and the rice. Allow this to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a grape leaf with the vein side up and make sure the stem is cut off. Patch with piece of other leave to form a 6 inch surface area. Spoon in ¼ cup rice filling in center of leaf. Fold bottom of leaf over filling . Fold in sides. Roll up to enclose filling in leaf. Arrange seam side down on baking sheet. Arrange these on a glass baking dish.

Now mix 4 cups water ½ cup oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl to blend. Pour it over the stuffed grape leaves. Cover with foil. And bake until the lemon oil mixture is absorbed. About 1 hour. 

The Mother of All Meltdowns Book Review

I was really fortunate to receive a copy of The Mother of All Meltdowns Real Stories of Moms’ Finest (Worst, Completely Awful) Moments! from Crystal Ponti to review. The book is a collection of stories by mommy bloggers. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading the book. When I started reading the anthology of stories about motherhood, I soon began to laugh. As I read the stories about women who found they were pregnant, and their reactions, I laughed. Then I read more of the stories that told how mothers dealt with some of their children’s behavior, and I laughed again. I read about meltdowns! I read about how people treated women with babies. I read about what happens when the kids are being too quiet. And I laughed! So in case you haven’t figured it by now this book is humorous.

The stories in the book reminded of things from the pages of Fannie Flagg’s or Erma Bombeck’s books. They are humorous, but they have a point. And the point is that there are times when you can’t be the perfect mother, but it’s best to look at the humor in those moments and not fret over that moment. There are so many other moments that can make up for that meltdown. But the book also offers a few helpful hints to moms who have had a meltdown.

This is a fun book for moms of all ages, and for anyone who knows a mom. Visit Crytal’s blog Mommifried to learn more about the book.

Guest Blogger Captain

My pet human keeps pushing me away! I can’t believe it. I just feel the need to be near my pet all of the time. I want to sit on her lap, but she tells me to get down after a half hour or so. So I sit next to her on the arm of the couch. Now as I have stated previously, I am a large feline so I don’t really fit on the arm of the couch, so I kind of lay my legs on her shoulder while I am there. As I sit there I gradually lean more into her, I do this on purpose. It gives us more contact, which is the thing I desire most. But my pet human doesn’t always stay in that spot like she is supposed to. There have even been times when she has moved from the couch without warning me, and I fall down because I was leaning on her. This is unacceptable! I am a cat and I am not supposed to fall down. It is humiliating. She does not take into consideration how awful I feel when I lose my balance and fall. Cats just aren’t supposed to do that! I am trying to decide whether or not I should continue sitting on the arm rest next to her. Is there somewhere else I can sit and get the desired contact without the possibility of the falling and humiliation that goes along with it? Please let me know what all of my fellow felines think, and I am even willing to accept suggestions from other pet humans.

Things That Made This Week Wonderful

Seeing a grasshopper jump in the grass. I’m always surprised at just how far something so small can jump.

The smell of fresh paint. It just always smells so clean.

The taste of cinnamon in chili. I love Cinncinati style chili it’s the greatest.

The sound of crickets. The sight of them is kind of creepy I think, but the sound they make is awesome.

The feeling of relief you get when you hear about somebody doing something completely foolish. You know the thought wow, that sounds like something I would do, man I’m glad it wasn’t that did it this time.

If Something is Important

Laslow Simplex's Music

Laslow Simplex is a musician who doesn’t fit into just one genre. And that’s one of the reasons I like his music. His music is a little bit country, a little bit folk, a little bit jazz, and a little bit old time.  And we all know that a mixture like that adds up to interesting music with a twist of fun.

As I listened to the song Never Going Back, I was reminded of a Johnny Cash song, and when I read a little more about the songwriter I wasn’t surprised to find that he is one of his influences. There’s something in the rhythm and lyrics. Okay pretty much everything about the song. Then I listened to Feel It in My Bones and I thought yeah, this is just a little jazzy. It’s a song that you would listen to late, late, late on a Saturday night. You know the ones you listen to as a great party is winding down.

Then I looked him up on youtube. And I was glad to find a list of videos by him. It was hard to pick a favorite out of the videos that he has available, but I think Missile in the Dark is my favorite. Why? I don’t know the catchy tune or is it because it has a line about cats? Who knows, but I do know that I like it!

Laslow Simplex

You can learn more about him and his music by visiting his website. And when you visit make sure you go through the gallery of oddities it’s full of fun pictures.

Ghost Want List

Ghost Hair Clip PinsandNeedles0

Ghost Hoodie emandsprout

Ghost Costume Tutu TutieCutieTutus

Ghost Bottle MandisCreations

Ghost Pillowcase Dress RufflesandMudPies