Halloween Flashback

1983 Macon Chronicle (Macon, Missouri) 

One September in 1983 newly into the school year and near my 14th birthday, a young boy my age named Danny Joe Eberle went missing while on his paper route in Bellevue. Days later his body was found a few miles away outside town on a rocky road near the Base.

By this time women's lib was in full effect and there were no stay at home moms within my group of friends. We were all latch-key kids so after school my girlfriends often favored hanging out at one friend's house. That mom went a little nuts because we ate all of their food, annoyed her sons and probably made a mess. Another of the mothers was more strict and wouldn't tolerate our food invasions at her house plus she had a lot of 'house rules'. A few of us just lived further away so hanging out at other houses was out of the way.

Once this murder occurred the moms got together and it was decided we needed to have a designated home to go to after school so we weren't roaming the streets to get snatched up by the boogyman. I was excited that all of the mothers were going to meet and talk about us. The idea was that we were to take turns at everyone's house so there was a share in our protection (and finally the food consumption). The moms were going to come home early from work on their day to watch us. Logistically it never got off the ground and we all ended up back in the Jeanettas' cupboards.

This was also a time when we watched slasher movies for fun like Friday the 13th and Halloween I,2,3, Terror Train, My Bloody Valentine and The Funhouse. I would be going home at night after watching a scary movie where 20 people got cut up in the woods and end up running all of the way. That year Halloween had an extra scary dimension knowing someone was really out there snatching up kids. I'm sure all of the parents were more afraid than we were. The line between fact and film was blurry for us but we still had the cloak of parental protection.

For further reading on subject check out A Need To Kill.

Coffee In The Dark

Around here the sun makes a sudden shift when the seasons change. The same day the weather changes the sunlight takes on it's new angle. In the flip of a flip-flop you need to change out your wardrobe. In this case to sweaters and long pants. Didn't I just get my shorts out? 

I start craving syrupy flavors added in my coffee. Pumpkin and allspice taste better now, not too heavy like in the warmer months. (But five seconds after Thanksgiving my tastes buds are done with PUMPKIN!) I want to lay down more rugs. Tone down the accent colors. Cook more and have plenty stocked in the cupboards. I dye my hair red instead of blonde. Cooler weather means long dog walks are tolerable but now we have to watch the clock so the sun doesn't go down while we're out. 

Photo credit Susan Weiner 

I wash the down comforters. Get the coats and scarves ready. The mittens matched up. We have coats but here they're more for fashion. Not hardly needed until February.

In Nebraska I don't recall the sudden shift around the equinox of a season. It was more like a bipolar episode going between high and low temps until you were in the belly of it. And then it was dark for 6 months. You got snow tires and changed to a winter antifreeze or your car wouldn't start. And you were so very cold. 

There would be spurts of sneaky warm days in March. We would layout in our shorts if it was 50 or 60 degrees desperate for sun, color and vitamin D. And then it would go back to sub zero and freezing at least until April, bipolaring until it was 98% humidity and 100 degrees. No wonder it's a very tornado friendly place.

I'm getting very sleepy...it's time for a pumpkin latte.

Flavor Of Love

You'd think I had an affair with all of the freedom of the night the newness of the setting and the lust for the flavors of something more delicate than thawed meat.
Many things have taken the back burner the last few years. Going to artsy movies and well, o.k. creativity in general have all shriveled from disregard. Energy and brain power seems to be used up in time management of kid meals, kid entertaining and kid needs among other must-get-done things. 
Gone are the days of paging through gourmet fish recipes and taking my time in the kitchen to prepare them. Food prep has to be quick and interrupted. As for eating out - that has to be quick too. The few times we've attempted it Mountain Man says, "This is the last time we take them out until they're in high school."

For my birthday we were invited to go out to eat and I jumped on it like a cat in heat. The prospect of a meal with adults and no kids, even if it was at IHOP, was a sublime gift.

Wine Map by Tuscaroa Mill

I poured over the choices. Where to go, where to go!! My creative juices although rusty turned on. Should we go to D.C. to a happening place or Middleburg steeped in history and texture or Bethesda where finding parking takes an extra 45 minutes. I settled on Leesburg. We are so close but I have little food knowledge of the area.
We went to Tuscarora Mill. I had often passed by the windows going to and from yoga. The patrons inside were enjoying holiday meals and after work tête-à-têtes. It always looked like a nice time, the reviews were decent and it has easy parking!

What a beautiful time. I took the lead and we started with a really good local wine with the help of the sommelier, a 2011 Verano. 

I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried pork belly which the chefs on t.v. often rave about. The meal was great. The company and conversation spectacular, I'm still soaking it in a week later with no regrets. The beauty of age.

Steam Trains Dream Trains

For months my two year old has been obsessively into steam trains. Every night I ask her what she is going to dream about and she says, "Choo-choo trains!" We rode the Metro but that just seemed like such a cheap substitute for the real thing. So I found her a surprise and we went over the mountains to Cass, West Virginia to ride a true blue steam train. 

Big Meadows Lodge

The route from our place was scenic as navigated by Mountain Man. We started on Skyline Drive a lovely road along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. We stopped for sunset and a bite at the old Blue Meadows Lodge built in 1939. It had the same vibe as a Yellowstone lodge, timeless and nostalgic.
I already want to go back (without the sick kids next time).

We stopped for the night in Staunton, Virginia and did a quick a.m. tour of the attractive old town which was a decent size. I even forgot it was a weekday since we found parking during "morning rush hour". My kind of town. We left for Cass and went over 3 mountains arriving in less than two hours. The ears were popping a lot. Oh and near Frost, WV we stopped for gas justincasewewerestuckinthewoodslater. I went in for snacks and, shut the front door right now, I heard something frying at the cash register. Sure enough it was fried chicken!! The lady was jiving gossip, selling lotto and making buckets o chicken.

In Cass we had our choice of a 2 hour ride or a 4 hour ride and went with the shorter option with the little kiddies in tow, good move. The trains were big, steamy, loud and so cool. The cars are open so check the weather. Here is their link for info. 

After the ride we were on our way to stay in a cabin in Watoga State Park  for a few days. Looking for a place to stay that night we started in Snowshoe Village a huge summit complex/town built around a ski mountain. It was so deserted it was like we stepped into

The Shining summer version. So we opted for another town down the road and stayed in a pre -civil war cabin in Marlinton, WV called Jerico cabins. Our cabin was romantic and next to a babbling brook. We had to leave in the middle of the night for a sick baby and cut our trip short. But I hope to go back over the mountains and explore WV parks more in the near future where the  state motto is "Mountaineers Are Always Free" .

Demolition Derby Date

Got us a dirt track date
Demolition derby figure eight
Eat my dinner off a paper plate
Eliminations start at 8

Friday night I had a hot date with Mountain Man at the county fair. We attended the Demolition Derby on the fairs opening night. It was $2.00 extra for the grand stand event. I called ahead of time to make sure we didn't have to worry about the event selling out. There was silence on the other end of the line. "You can come get tickets the night of the event and it won't be sold out. It's never sold out." I felt like I had stumbled upon a best kept secret. The greatest $2.00 I've ever spent.

The crowd was good for people watching and second hand smoke inhalation. We were near the front row to try and take some decent photos. But the entire fire department crew and every other visual obstacle parked right in front of us. We saw the 8 cylinders in 2 heats and then a final championship heat. The contestants' car paint and names were quite creative. Hood Bros., Derby Dogs, 666, Wild and Crazy, True Blue Heat, etc. It was a straight dirt track and winner was last car standing. Tricks like driving in reverse, double & triple teaming and escaping on the bank, were used. Such strategy, who knew? Here are my videos of the event  & here.

The announcer was lively and the waiting was minimal. The dirt and exhaust were nonexistent (except on the bleacher and my light seersucker pants). They announced that Wednesday there is a minivan demolition derby - words can't describe the beauty in the thought of one of the ugliest vehicles created being smashed into scraps where it should remain. (We have one.) I wonder if there are female drivers in that one. It's kind of their advantage. 

Wearing My Upcycle Goggles

O.K. now this type of suitcase is something I have seen turned into tables so I'm going to attempt to do this as one of my projects. Combining thrifting with creativity and I'm in. 
So I'm going to cut the legs off of that Craig's List table and attach them to the below thrifted suitcase.
It doesn't hurt that I have a brilliant carpenter side kick, a.k.a. Mountain Man to help my ideas come to life. Failure I have learned is part of success. So what if it ends up sucking, I'll re-donate it.

Also saw this today and we have plenty of down trees so I want to make some of these, natural and useful!!

I have some more things waiting in the wings so hopefully I'll have something to show shortly. PEACE!

Putting The Horse Back In Front

ROBERT DEYBER, Putting the Cart Before the Horse 

This week finds me unemployed. 
Luckily that hasn't happened since 1991.The beginnings of a new perspective are emerging but so far I'm still searching for a good natural deodorant. 
I've gotten to think about what I really want to do with my time and my first thought was make furniture.
I had time to do my hair (I haven't blown it dry nor flat ironed the wave out in months).
I noticed without the guaranteed paycheck coming in I have had to get off the gerbil wheel where I am constantly thinking,"what can I buy next". Just days prior I thought what if I could see I don't NEED anything.
I cancelled my subscriptions to the sites that send me daily sale notices.
I lost 5 pounds.
I had time to study for my test on a weekday. 
I got to swing and dance with my daughter on a weekday. And read my son a book.
I asked myself how was I doing everything before?
I took a nap.
Put my laundry away.
I got an "A" on a test.
It's only Wednesday.

Sexual Assult Is Everyone's Issue

Here is a TED talk from a man who calls the violence against women a men's issue. YES!
http://www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue.html
There seemed to be a lot of interest in the blog about my first massage and I have to think it was because I talked some about overcoming sexual abuse. A long time ago I heard a statistic that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of sexual assault. When I heard that I was in a large auditorium full of students and I looked around the room and thought how many of us were in the same boat like it or not.


One in four college women report being sexually assaulted http://genderuniversity.com

My abuse was from a trusted person, as most abuses are. He was my gym teacher when I was about 6 years old. It took me many years to realize there was abuse because um, I was a baby! Back then I thought of him as a favorite teacher and I was sad when he left our elementary school. Years later in Jr. High I ran into him in the hallway as a dean at my new school and my fond memories evolved into, "Hey wait a second!" I was cold to him (as a 12-14 year old) through the years there. He seemed to be confined to the boys' gym activities at that school anyway so our encounters were few. I warned my little sister of him once she attended but that's the only person I felt the need to tell at the time.

In college I wrote about the abuse in a creative writing class. Still just seeing it as a previous incident. In the papers grade notes the professor suggested I might speak to a professional about the matter. That didn't register because I always saw it as something "in the past". There was nothing to it anymore as far as I knew.

In discussing the college paper with my parents I got some more information about what happened. My mother said she went to the principle at one point because I cried over a report card where Mr. _ gave me a "C". She said I was extremely upset. I told her he promised me an "A" (if I did what he asked). Hopefully that red flag had something to do with why he got moved to Jr. High teaching boys.

http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/

Fast forward to my first massage at age 24 where I came to the realization the abuse was not confined to the past but still with me. I discovered there was still distrust in my body revealed in the very spot he would sit near. After the massage it was more clear to me how in my daily life I was putting myself in similar uncomfortable situations but allowing it because it was what someone else wanted. What I wanted was secondary and unfamiliar. I realized I had been repeating that same situation over and over and over up to the present day. Still experiencing that discomfort and having no voice it was as if I had been 6 all of those years. I became very sad. I was diagnosed with PTSD in therapy and was prescribed pills for a year.
But I also broke the cycle.

Yes, this is personal information. It's boiled down but there is no shame just one of my life's many victories.

A View Of Mimi

Periodically I'd like to introduce you to some creative people so we can;
1. Voyeur into other interesting peoples lives
2. Show how creativity can be people's passion and a career, hobby, gift or lifestyle
My first guest is Mimi who recently made a huge leap and left a career to pursue her writing aspirations.

Where do you live? How did you end up there?

I live in Cocoa, Florida across the Indian River from Kennedy Space Center. From our house there’s great view of the VAB (Vehicular Assembly Building) where they used to work on the Shuttles. I’m a space freak, so this is awesome for me (cue I Dream of Jeannie music).  I grew up in New Smyrna Beach a little further north.  A few years ago, I reconnected with a childhood friend, who’s now an aerospace engineer, and we got married.

Heron Haven, Mimi's masterpiece

What do you do for a living or to pass your days?

I’m a recovering librarian. I quit my job to pursue Pinterest full time. Sometimes I blog at http://mimsywords.wordpress.com.  I do not have any kids to interfere with my selfish life, but I do have four crazy dogs who are total pain-in-the-asses. I’ve been decorating and renovating a house that I share with my husband and in-laws.  Oh, and I lied about kids: I have a great stepson who lives with us part time. We try not to interrupt his X-Box schedule. We call him the teen yeti because I go into his room every 48 hours or so to collect his pizza crusts, meat bones, and soda cans.

What do you like to do creatively?

Getting dressed is my most creative act of the day – it’s the only consistently creative thing I do, too, because I am ADD and lazy as hell. It is a complete miracle that I have two master’s degrees, and I guess that’s because I’m a good academic.  If anything is hard, I quit, cause I can’t handle failure. I have a vast vintage clothing collection. I love art,and I read nearly every minute of the day when I’m not on Pinterest, and I go to a lot of thrift stores. I would love to learn to sew.

Please Attach a picture of something you have made or that you like!!

Am just obsessed with anything colorful, Southern, or folk arty. Check out the Work of Wayne White. Then again, I’m an Anglophile and love to read anything about aristocratic Brits like the Mitfords. Oh, also I love jazz. And cars.  And architecture. And museums. And movies.  Masterpiece Theater. Honey Boo. It’s all good.



Wayne White

What is your favorite place you have visited? Why?

New Orleans and Savannah – fun, jaw dropping beauty, musical, arty,history all over the damn place, great cocktails,grits,tacky and sophisticated at the same time.

What floats your boat right now? Attach any photos of this! 

I’m having a Walker Evans summer.He’s the photographer who did all those shots of people on the subway,and I think he’s pretty much the first person who started treating American road signs and billboards seriously. 

Walker Evans

Please show us a photo of your favorite spot in your house and tell us why it is so.

My bed.  It’s where I read, write, do Pinterest, and sleep, within easy cuddling reach of my dogs and easy view of the river. Here I am with pugs Tater Tot, Sammy, and a recent “Are You Saved?” piece I bought in North Carolina. Oh, and a piece of driftwood that I rescued from an insane dude who was going to carve it into a fucking dragon (not that I am averse to dragons – I love me some Game of Thrones, too.)

Mimi @ home

Thank you, Mimi! I hope you enjoyed one of my favorite creative people. xoxo

Night Market Philly Is A Food Truck Party

Night Markets are a common destination in Asian Cities. They are open air casual markets with live food preparation, fresh local cuisine and something to solidify a perhaps otherwise liquid evening. Now add the U.S. and food trucks. OH YES!

Miaokou Night Market, Taiwan photograph by Neil Wade My Shot

I am drooling literally. I have a big love for food trucks, festivals and travel so this Philadelphia roving Night Market makes me giddy. I'm excited for the vendors who get to feature their goods and the lucky patrons who will have access to unique eats all in one place. I hope this catches on to more cities around the U.S.A.
Philadelphia Night Market June 20, 2013 6-10 p.m.  
Here is a video about the Philadelphia Night Market which travels to different neighborhoods and has live music! From what I can gather it's only once a year right now. Bon appetit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqlA_7oSwY8Pa


Photo by Michaelangelo Ilagan for The Food Trust