A Summer Gathering and Momma's Cooking

Hello friends if your in the summer climate as I am right now, I hope you're keeping cool. Earlier this month in the States we had the Fourth of July (Independence Day), yes way overdue writing this. We celebrated with a cookout, an event that usually is just involved Fangirl coming up, the Folk, and me, but this year my sister and I'll call her June Bug decided to bring their brood, making it a total of 8 people.

This caused my Mother to have to conjure up an alternative dessert plan. She off the bat created a new cake recipe that I call: Mom's Improv 4th of July Cake. Though don't let the title fool you it'd be great at any time. I don't have any pictures, it's a pretty simple cake, but I will share the recipe I originally posted on Gilded Wings:


Mom's Improv 4th of July Cake

Ingredients:

Berry Mix:
1 Cup Sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cup of Blueberries
1 to 1 1/2 cup of Strawberries (crushed)

Cake Mix:
2 Cups of flour
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
2 Eggs
1/2 cup of cooking oil
1/2 cup of evaporated milk (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)

Also:
Whip Cream
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 350

Instructions:

Preparing Your Berry Mix

Add your blue berries and strawberries to a bowl. Pour in the sugar and stir it all up. Let it set for an hour to two hours, stirring every 30 minutes till it forms a juice.

Preparing Your Cake Mix

First add the dry ingredients (the flour and sugar), then add the wet ingredients (everything else). Then stir till you get a smooth, well mixed batter.

Let's Mix These Two Mixes

Once your juice has formed strain out the berries into the cake batter. SAVE THE JUICE!
Mix the berries into your batter.

Bake Creation Bake!

Spray a 9 X 13 cake pan, and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick.

After Baking
Once the cake is out of the oven, and still hot take spoonfuls of the berry juice you saved and spoon it all over the cake. MAKE SURE YOU SAVE AT LEAST HALF OF THE JUICE! Now let it cool down.

Nom Nom

Cut up the cake however you wish. Serve your cake piece topped with whipped cream. Finish by drizzling some of your remaining juice over it.

Enjoy!


After our feasting, we all went outside to enjoy the fireworks. My sister's brood had brought some glow sticks and a balls. June Bug made her a crown out of glowing periwinkle ring. She was like queen of the rave! Ok not really, but maybe the glow queen of the cookout.

There was one point I was sitting on the porch edge in the dying day watching my sister play catch with the boys as lighting bug, or you may call them fire flies (I think both names are beautiful), an I was like this was definantly almost like the quenticenal american Summer/Fourth of July. If it wasn't already cliche enough we later roasted marshmellows for s'mores over the grill's charcoal that was still burning.

I'm also going to remember it as the Forth we had watermelon out our ears. See as part of our usual Fourth menu we have watermelon, so my parents bought one. Well her comes my sister with one, which we used for out cookout, then my Grandparents up the road called saying they was gonna have to send the rest of their melon to us cause some rencent dental work was making it hard for them to eat it. So my sister and me had to get it. There was a half plus about 3/4's of another half we carried back along with bags of onions, yes there was qoting of Dirty Dancing after this. Needless to say our guests went home with Melon, cause our was untouched in the fridge. Actually I was eating that melon, when I wrote this back on the 11thm we still had half of it at that time.

I guess before I go I'll post this one summery type craft thing I fell in love with. I mean this post is summer related. It's a tutorial for Solar Color Changing Ombre Converse Sneakers from the Dream A Little Bigger Blog, props to Epbot's post for me finding it. I think that would be cool, or heck even getting regular paint and coloring up some shoes ombre style would be awesome. Though I don't know about this particular brand of flats, I know certain flat bottom tennis shoes are not the best protect on our gravel/rock drive way, and if you step on a single piece of sharp gravel in them, it's about as bad as if you did it barefooted.

Well I hope you have a good weekend friends and enjoy the summertime. God Bless You Guys!

Writing, Words, Women

*Warning this post is long and full of blatherings and wild tangents ;p*

This post was originally suppose to be a post relating to the 4th of July, but it turned into a post themed around women writer's. I also think it has shadows of a post I'd planned to write about words but discarded everything but a couple links. So at the creative juices urging let's get going.

Happy 20th Harry Potter

20 years... I almost can't believe it's been that long since the first Harry Potter Book, also crazy it'll be 10 years the 31st of July since the 7th book came out. I guess time flies like the snitch.

This world is very special to me, because of it I have great memories. Memories involving my friends, the books, movies, various thing other fans have done, and even my 11th grade research paper, yes I geek like that. :P Read my post over at Gilded Wings where I recall two big memories including the first time I read Harry Potter.

Rowling's work also has been known to be a bit of calm in the rough parts of life. In the darkness of anxiety/depression that followed 9/11 her word magic gave my frazzled mind a brief respite.*

Not only do I find Rowling's world amazing, but after watching J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and Me many years ago I was inspired by her creative way of working. She just had piles of papers and scraps with writings, drawings, and information. I think of her as one of those authors that just really knows her world inside out. I think my creative juices just envied that view of scattered piles of creative energy.

I guess the only other thing I can say is thank you Rowling for giving us this amazing world. Keep up the magic!


While I Was Seeking

When I was doing the search for literary magazines to send poems off to on the Poets & Writers website I went found The Columbia Review. There I discovered Nikki Shaner-Bradford's On Hanging Poetry In Your Dorm Room; which really made you think about the relationships between fans and the objects of their fandoms. I also fell (or maybe refell) in love with the idea of putting poems and maybe other words somewhere on your wall. I can't help but think of this Keri Smith blog post when I read about putting stuff on your wall.


Getting a Room

I also suggest you read you Shaner-Bradford's other published piece in The Columbia Review : Finding a Room of One's Own in the Modern Day, which is an interesting read involving a book I like A Room of One's Own by yes another lady writer Virginia Woolf, where actually she discusses women writing in the book. Yes lots of women and words.

Continuing on the A Room of One's Own train, I found myself dying to reread a very short story, by another woman, I've actually just did so right before/during working on this, though I feel I may have to give it another read through when I'm with the post, I feel I was too distracted earlier to have had a good read. It's called 5:00 A.M: Writing as a Ritual by Judith Ortiz Cofer from her book The Latin Deli, though my copy of the story was found on page 529 in the book we used for expository writing class in college called Odyssey- A Guide to Better Writing: Third Edition. I think I found it thumbing through the book, cause what else could you do with a book you couldn't sell during the book buy back, this isn't necessarily bad especially with English books cause you may find you own a treasure of literature now. I actually loved this piece so much I took advantage of the rip outable pages and tore it out, and I guess tossed the book, sadly this left it subject to the perils my void of a room , but as luck had it I think it was Fangirl, who took the same class two semesters later, had her a copy that I think was destined for the garbage, so I got it.

Getting back to the story itself It's about Cofer's writing ritual she established, she even briefly gives a nod the title of Woolf's work. I mean it's a very short, simple work, I don't see it being life altering to most people, but to me I think what make's me revisit it often is the image she gives about her mornings and her writing ritual. I just love that image in my head. I wonder sometimes what would happen if I took myself somewhere with less distractions, I imagine I'd probably focus better on trying to write poems now that I seem to have found my creative urge again.

Scent of the Book

Not long ago I finished a book, that I got as free gift in an Amazon purchase, don't you love when that happens. The book was called Elsie's Tender Mercies- Book Seven of the Elsie Dinsmore®: A Life of Faith® Series based on books by Martha Finley. According to the copyright section of this book it came out, or at least was copyrighted, in 2001, but Finley's books first came out in 1868. So yes been around in some form a while. I read it unsure the age group it was meant for, I'm still not sure though it might be for a younger audience, but I still enjoyed the reading. I learned, or more likely relearned , about life and events in the south during the reconstruction era after the US civil war. Plus it also has lessons of faith, which is why I knew I could read it with no fear of any explicit content. The strange and cool thing about this book is when I opened it up an stuck my nose in to take a good whiff, yes I am a book sniffer guilty as charged, I found instead of the usual booky smells you'd get, it's something I guess homey and feminine. I think maybe akin to going to your Grandparents or getting something from them that's been in their home, and it's a nice little scent of comfort, but that's my Grandparents, you may have a whole different experience. Anyway back on track this lovely scent I don't know if it's the book's natural scent or something that it acquired over the course of it's life, but I feel it's the perfect scent for it and it's main character Elsie®. I feel if I were to run into her, or go to her home, this would be the scent she'd and it would be perfumed in.

Coming Attraction

I'm in the process of reading a book of poetry called A Homespun Legacy by Sarah Sabina McFall. I don't think she was like a well known poet, but I've enjoyed what I've read so far. It's a thrift store find, but one that has an interesting tale beyond the poems within, but I plan on a special post just about it once I'm done chronicling all things around this book.



Crazy Ideas Time: Internet Collage BookAs I was trying to find that blog post for the Keri Smith link. I had this crazy idea hit me. If your like me you probably have a bunch of favorite links saved in your favorites, or pinned somewhere. I started thinking what if someone started going through their texts, social pages, and favorites folder links, and picked out the cream of the crop, got all the permissions they needed and collected it into a book and called it something like My Digital Life or My Internet Life. I just wander what that would be like. I think that would be an interesting view of the collector's life. Why don't you do it yourself you may ask. Simple I'm already prone to being stressed and crazy, that would probably put me in the deep end of the crazy pool.


Ok friends I think that unexpected whirlwind of women writing their words has died down, though I think that tongue twister is there to stay. It just seize me and would let go till it got all those words out of me, some words I didn't even really know needed coming out. So do you guys have any tales of women's word's or word's written about women writing words? Write it in the comments or my socials. Till next time friends may God Bless You!


* Rowling's work joins that of other authors whose works has give my anxiety ridden brain a break since I first had problems when I was 9 or 20. This list includes Ann M. Martin's The Baby-Sitter's Club Mystery # 12: Dawn and the Surfer Ghost and Mercedes Lackey's Vows and Honor books.

A Day Long Road Trip

Good evening my friends. Well I reached another year. It was time spend with my family, extended family at the family reunion, and soul family. So I'm deeming the theme the Birthday of Family. I prefer doing like Grace in "Good Witch" and spending time with family on birthday, which aired the not long before my B-Day. Why is it around my B-day it seems my TV produces the B-Day eps?

As part of my B-Day gifts Fangirl decided to take me on a day trip to Gatlinburg, since I'd mentioned it been a bit since we'd been on a trip. Despite some anxiety problems, getting lost, rain, and pain in the legs from sitting in the car, I still enjoyed myself. I mean it's the unexpected things that makes for the great stories.

Bryson City/Cherokee

We actually ended up visiting these areas a total of 3 times each. But it gave me a chance to see parts of the area I hadn't seen, or haven't seen in a loooong time. Being smart women we stopped at Bryson City's Visitor and Heritage museum. While Fangirl took a restroom run I looked about the first floor of the museum. In a small room they'd taken pieces I guess found from various old school rooms and made a mock one room school house. In entrance room was pews and a piano from a church or two, and some other literature safe under glass. You have to wander the stories behind them. The days of learning and early Sunday mornings.

　

During one of the drive troughs we passed the Sequoyah Bear in Cherokee, It's part of these artistic bear statues in Cherokee. I don't think I'd seen this one yet. For those who don't know yet he is the man who I believe who developed the Cherokee Syllabary.

　

Nantahala Gorge

We also ended up in the Nantahala Gorge. The rain that came down formed a mist over the creek where we'd been observing rafters. I decided to tell Fangirl about the Giant Wasp/Hornet Legend I read Mountain Ghost Stories and Curious Tales of Western North Carolina by Randy Russell and Janet Barnett. Yes I'm evil.

　

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies™

At the aquarium Fangirl got the opposite what she hoped. See as I've mentioned I have Anxiety. In certain crowded situations I'm fine, but sometimes when there's screaming kids, people who really have no problem invading your personal space, and lots of noise all in one area I have a tough time, so her solution was go on a weekday, sadly it was a weekday during the summer... yeah. Add in my ever worsening OCD, which I don't think I had the last time I was there, it wasn't a cakewalk, but I still managed to find good times.

One great memory of this trip was the fact I got to touch a jelly fish, and not have to be peed on afterwards! I never believed I would touch one, now I can add it to my list of life experiences. So what does a jelly fish feel like? Basically as the name implies jelly like.

Fish Amongst the Trees

One of my most favorite parts of the aquarium is the underwater tunnel. It's beautiful and a bit scary. At one point I took a break from getting pictures, which I'm prone to do a lot because my parents aren't able to go to places like this, and just observed the shark swimming above me for a bit. I watched the way it moved through the water, both scary and amazing.

I found myself looking at the fish floating by and imagining I could be a mermaid, this may have me been me coping with the anxiety too.

　

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditurium™

I hadn't been here since my first trip to the town. We were greeted by I wanna say wax figures of a couple famous people in body alterations one is a Lizard Man that I've seen a few times on TV. Since my last visit there have been some great interactive things added. In one room where your moves effected the screen where there was some live club/trance music going on I was "Rave!", well in my mind.

I have two favorite areas of the odditurium the first is the cemetery. It's all spooky and got creepy pieces, and my favorite, the vampire hunter kit. VvvV

My other favorite thing is the swinging bridge tunnel they have, and I have to say this pic Fangirl got of me is creepy cool and my eyes just have the perfect effect.

　

That piece of paper in me hand is from a Zoltar Machine. It was a favorable prediction for me.

Clouds

Through out the day, wisps of fog hung low upon the mountains. Sometimes you felt you could just reach out and touch. The clouds played through the green mountains, over the blackened patches from the fires last year, and the sun could sometimes be found enter woven within it.

　

Well I hope you enjoyed my tales from a day long road trip. If you want to see a few more pictures and some other memories from the day read the blog I did for the Imaginative People's Association Blog: Gilded Wings

God bless you my friends and may your journeys be great.

Season Changing

 Smells of Spring's lilac have given way to the rosy scents of Summer
Heavy in the evening and morn, especially after the rain fall
Cherokee roses have taken their wild spaces again
As the pink rose bushes began showing off early this year
 Blooms come out on the poplar tree near the barn
 I have to touch a waxy, orange, pale yellow petal

 

Arriving a week early than it should
A lighting bug blinked into existence
Soaring in the moon's light
As if born from the glow

 

Nests crafted on beams
In the shelter of barns and sheds
Now lay barren
As the children grew their wings
And found the sky

Nature is full poetic inspiration. I hope you have a good weekend friends. God Bless You!

A Birthday Poem

 

Another birthday approaches

Another year added to the notches of your body

But ignore all that negativity over aging

You got more to celebrate

　

Today you started as a miracle

It doesn't matter how you were received

Because to God you are a beautiful gift

And every year since you arrived

It's a time to remember all the treasures

That have come your way

A chance to honor all those pieces

Making up the being that is you

Your obsession with chocolate

Probably not healthy, but it makes you smile

Your love of car rides

And singing loudly, yet badly, to good music

　

Unfold the map of life

Honor every mile

See how far you've come

The passengers you've picked up

Hikes in the cow patty field

Tater loving dogs

The old high school fight songs

Your ever patient soul family

Your favorite Chinese Restaurants

　

Today laud all your lines and curves

Your good parts and mistakes

Turn the music up

Belt it out loud

Be thankful in every breath

Celebrate God's gift in that He gave you another year

 

 

Musical Moment: My Life Story Playlist

 

Hello Friends I hope your day is going well. We all know the old saying "Music is the soundtrack to life". Quite true, but I think out of all the music we listen to there's ones that really tell our life story, those songs we attach memories to, or speak about us so well. So in the continuing trend of reflecting before my birthday I decided to share some of the songs from My Life Story Playlist. I'm actually listening to it on Spotify as I type. So yeah let's do this musical journey.

Candida by Tony Orlando and Dawn
This oldie graces my list first because it is a highly important song in my life. This song was what inspired my mother’s choice in naming me. Of course the spelling is off from the song’s spelling, but that’s because my mother, couldn't recall if it was a second N or a second D. Either way this song is the reason I’m named what I’m named.

Daniel by Elton John
This is the song that could have been... my name that is. Had I been a boy this would have been my name and this song would have been the inspiration. My folks I think had musical names picked out for my sister and me in any scenario.

Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
The song is on the list cause "Ghostbusters" is a movie that is close to my heart due to the fact we came into the world the same week.

Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
Dolly is one of my inspirations. She’s a creative soul that speaks to my creative soul. We both are mountain women from poor families. I choose this song because it reflects who she is and it’s the type of person she is that speaks volumes to me.

Bop by Dan Seals
This was my favorite song as a young child. I’ve been told I would run around the house saying "Play Bop Daddy, play Bop!", or in the vehicle with my Grandparents.
 She’s in Love with a Boy by Trisha Yearwood
This song was on my first cassette that wasn’t of the kiddy variety. She was one of my early favorite female artists.

Playing With the Boys by Kenny Loggins
When summer came my family would head out for a camping and/or fishing trip. As we drove out their Mom would play the Top Gun soundtrack. It was only in the summer when she would play this album. This song is one of my favorite tracks on the album.

Down Home by Alabama
When I was in fourth grade my elementary put on a variety show to raise money for the school. This song was the opening number, I remember they had a back drop that represented the nearby general store with some of the classmates playing checkers and dancing.

This Kiss by Faith Hill
I played the crap out of this song one summer it about drove Mom crazy and it's on the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies Practical Magic.
Brandy (You’re a fine Girl) by Looking Glass
Econut and I did a rendition of this song while in a river one summer some point in my high school years, plus I deemed it the official song of Free Comic Book Day 2017.
 Rocky Top by Conway Twitty
This song was played at our dances and proms, it was played on the cafeteria juke box so much that the principal, who despised the song to begin with, threaten to take the whole thing out. I’m not sure if this is the same version played on the juke or at the dances, but it’s my favorite.
 Never Had a Dream True by S Club 7
This was the first song I slow danced to with one of my guy friends at my first prom. I had no date so my friend let me dance with her boyfriend.

Hands(Christmas Version) by Jewel
When 9/11 happened it became a song I turned to to try to inspire strength with in me. Jewel is another creative soul that inspires mine.

Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C
Listened to it on the way to my graduation.

The Scotsman by The Whiskey Sisters
This was one of my favorite acts that played at the Renaissance Faire. This is the most memorable song they sang and it was the first version of it I ever heard. Originally by Mike Cross.

My World by Avril Lavinge
The chorus is so my thought processes.

Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly
This is the name Econut gave our first car; a red 1987 T- top Camaro. The song of course was the inspiration.

Enough by Barlow Girl
God is good enough said and all I need.
One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey/Boys II Men
There is a creepy to how this song ended up on my list. I had I think on of those satellite radio stations on. The clock had done crossed over to the next day which was the anniversary of my uncle's passing. Well around the time of his death this song came. Now you talk about some chills.

On Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks
Ok lone last song I'd had this song stuck in my head, so I tried to get it out by getting another one stuck in it, well that same day as I was in a Food Lion guess what song came on the speakers. So I pretty much figured God was wanting me to pay attention to the song's message.

Alright friends that's the end of that musical trip and another journey in my strange mind. Do you guys have any songs that are particularly special to you? If so tell me in le comments. Hope you have a great day friends, and May God Bless You!

The 9C Lists

So my birthday is coming up in a couple days. So I'd like to take the time to reflect on things in my life, I mean this is a celebration of one's life. So I'm posting some things from my 9C lists. It's two list I have for my favorite things that start with "C" like my name and a list of things that pertain to my favorite number 9, I'm a sad over thinking human.

The "C" List

Christ- Christ is on top off this list for He and God are foremost in the life of a Christian. He saved our souls from the final death.

Carolina- I was born, raised, and live in the Carolinas.

Cinderella- My favorite fairytale.

Christmas- The big holiday at my house. We enjoy this time of year, even if it is a bit stressful.

Cherokee- My Great, Great, Great Grandmother was half Cherokee, I have been told this and possibly found documentation of this, so I have some Cherokee blood in me, though I suspect this is only one of the ways I have Cherokee/ Native American heritage.

Cats- I have had many cats too, we have other types of pets too, but I get along well with cats.

Chocolate, Cola, Cake, cookies- The bad sugary things I can't help, but love.

Claudia Kishi- She was my favorite baby sitter in the "Baby Sitters Club Series" by Ann M. Martin I read as a child.

Chicken- I love me some chicken. I love it cooked many different ways.

"Charmed"- I love the TV series "Charmed". I still enjoy watching the reruns.


The "9" List

9 represents the fruits of the Holy Spirit

"The Baby-Sitter's Club book # 9: The Ghost at Dawn's House" by Ann M. Martin- became my favorite book in the series.

In an episode of "Doctor Who" Code 9 means the Doctor.

In 9th grade I went to my first concert and met the artist, Bryan White.

Number of goats I'm worth according to howmanygoats.com, I think I could this on boredbutton.com, there is some weird some weird sites out there.


Now for some favorite number mathematics

The square root of 9 is my B Day.

My birth Month and Day added together = 9.

Fangirl and Econut both have birthdays on the 27th which if you add the digits = 9.

Likewise my Mom and the Captain's Mom were born on the 18 of their birth month an if you add the digits yeah you guessed it you get 9.

Ok friends I guess you've seen enough of my weird logic for one day. I be "C"ing you later. God bless you all.